The Aleena Chronicles
by Tinker16
Summary: The universe is a big place, and Aleena has been trying to figure out where she fits into it. Since birth, the only thing she knew for certain was that she was different. Now her inner desire for belonging will lead her across worlds until she finds the truth of her origins. (Sequel to the Wanderer in Time Series)
1. Ch 1: The Beginning

Hello, everyone!

Welcome to the new story to all new readers and old readers. This is an instalment that connects to the **_Wanderer of Time_** series. This story is a sequel of sorts, though is also a story completely of its own. So, for you new readers, you don't necessarily need to read the three parts of the Wanderer series to understand what is taking place here. However, it is recommended, just in case. Better be safe than sorry to make certain all information is completely conveyed correctly. If not, then let me know and I'll make certain to correct it. :)

Special note: Any time there is harsh content, I will be placing a **Warning** at the beginning of the chapter. Though there will be very little of this as this story will be less harsh than previous ones.

So, please, enjoy the new story!

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The Aleena Chronicles

Chapter 1: The Beginning

She has always been able to see them. The stars. The wonderful and brilliant stars. They are all around, constantly twinkling and floating by. Never once stopping completely in their motion. Never once dulling in their light. They would travel throughout the universe, giving hope and joy. Bringing life in many ways. The stars would pass by, giving light to the darkness within people's lives. Whispering in encouragement, lighting up hope, breathing out words of wisdom. Unfortunately, people would never hear these stars. Never once see them, even for the briefest of moments. The stars were invisible to the world, to the universe. However, people could feel the stars. Without even realizing, really. One, without even knowing it, was led by the stars through their lives, following the path set for them and onto a brighter future.

But she could see them, these stars. She could touch them, feel them, hear them. She saw the infinite and vast lights, of all different colours, floating by throughout the sky. Throughout the universe. Whether it be day or night, spring or winter, past, present, or future, the stars were there. They were always there.

Not only were there stars, but there was also the thin-like strings attached to everyone. Thin webbing of their timelines, all intertwined and weaving throughout not only their own lives but the lives of all others. Not only for one simple world, one simple planet, either. The timelines were interconnected throughout the entire universe. Of all time and space, the bright lights of these strings were floating, connecting, fixing, mending through the sky. Tying everyone to each other to where no one was ever alone. No one was ever truly apart from each other.

They were all connected, even in the simplest of ways. She had seen once how a simple stranger knocking over a coffee upon a dinner table made it so a waitress had to stay behind to clean up the mess. This causing the waitress to bump into another man who helped her get a start upon becoming a brilliant writer later in life. Another moment in time, she had seen a baker taking the time to give an orphan boy a piece of bread, allowing the boy to feel welcome and warmth from receiving such a small gesture of kindness. This, in turn, led the boy to grow up into a helper of others, a healer of sorts for other parentless children. Then, there was her favourite moment of watching a leaf whip around upon the wind, falling into a man's face. This caused him to almost be hit by a car but was saved by his future wife. A chance in a lifetime in meeting each other, all because of a simple leaf. She really enjoyed this moment in time the best. Especially when seeing a star had been the one to knock the leaf into the man's face in the first place. That star must have really wanted the two strangers to get together.

Yes, she could see these stars, and these webs connecting everyone. To her, it was always a beautiful and breathtaking sight. But with the beauty, there was also darkness. Nothing was ever completely good. There were the bad entangled strings which pulled people in the wrong direction in life. Horrid lives that may affect and ruin others. She has seen this happen just as much as she has seen the good. But not all was bad. Most truly was good and wonderful. And the good never did let the bad make the life completely dark.

But, one may be asking now: how is it that she, simple Aleena, was able to see such unseen sights? How was she able to see the grander picture of the universe? How did she gain such a sight in the first place? Was it a gift? A curse? In fact, who was Aleena herself? What sort of importance could she possibly hold to have such a sight upon time and space? What or who could she possibly be?

Well . . . if there was ever a story to tell, perhaps the best place to start was at the beginning.

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On an ordinary day of July, of the year 1969, Dr Dwight Tate tiredly stepped out of his pickup truck and onto the dirt driveway of his home. He rubbed at his eyes under his glasses, trying to get the aching feeling to leave his weary sight. The man glanced up to the night sky briefly, seeing the far and distance stars above twinkling down upon the Earth. The Moon shone brightly along with the stars, beaming down its white light to the lives below.

Dwight hummed in thought while staring at the Moon. He still could not believe, that only in a few short days, man would finally land upon that mysterious fixture in the night sky. In many ways, this amazed him in the thought of simple humans finally reaching such a goal. In others, it made him wonder what future humanity might hold now that they have reached something that had once seemed so unreachable. Would there be anything more to space to which humans may explore in the many years to come? Dwight could only hope in some aspects. But then again, he could also be wary of such thoughts of human beings spreading far beyond the reaches of Earth in some distant future.

Shaking his head, he sighed in exhaustion as he pulled out his old and worn messenger bag from his truck. He made sure to tuck in his lab coat more securely into the bag as he shut the vehicle's door behind him. The cool, dry night air of Rachel, Nevada settled around him as he marched across the cracked earth below his feet, ready to be within his house and settle in for the night. It had been a long and tiring day at work. Especially after working for so long on a dwarf star alloy cell he had been helping on back at base. A long and tedious project to which the commanders have been making him and the other scientists of the labs put together. It all seemed silly and useless to Dwight's opinion. All that work for building a cell, just for some simple imprisoned man? A man who had been there for months, tied up in a chair with a straight jacket on, surrounded by dozens of guards and held within the most secure base in the United States. Why bother building an extra cell when the man was clearly going nowhere?

Then again, running into Canton a few times, Dwight was surprised to see that even the once ex-FBI agent seemed wary of the man being held captive by the base. Even Dwight himself felt the same uncertainty to be around the strange man with dark, floppy hair, bow tie, and green eyes which seemed to pierce right into one's mind when looked upon. This . . . 'Doctor' was a rather strange being. Dwight shook his head slightly, knowing he need not think of this now.

The man was now officially withheld in the dwarf star cell. There was nothing more the man could do. There was no escape. However, Dwight did feel it was unnecessary to even hold the man captive in the first place. What did the man even deserve to be placed within such a prison? Dwight always believed to earn such a punishment one must have been awful or cruel to begin with. And this Doctor did not seem to be such a man. However, there have been a few times Dwight did catch onto a great rage within this captive man. Especially whenever Canton had brought in pictures of people this Doctor seemed to care about. The one picture which Dwight noticed seemed to agitate the Doctor the most was the blurred picture of a woman with raven hair. It was possible this woman in the blurry picture must mean something dear to the Doctor. Whoever this woman may be, Dwight wondered what would the Doctor do if Canton did manage to get his hands on this raven-haired woman and give her the same fate as the agent had done to the others he had been after for three months.

Dwight continued his ponderings as he stepped up to the door of his home. He had almost opened said door when a piercing scream rang out in the night air. Dwight froze in fright, stiffening up greatly as he remained on the spot. What was that? A wounded animal of sorts? It continued to cry out, sounding frightened, terrified. A scared and desperate cry, shaky with little hiccups and coughs here and there. Dwight blinked rapidly as his mind suddenly dawned on what he was hearing. It was a baby's cry. A baby was screaming out into the night air. But where were the calls coming from? It sounded close, but that was not possible. There were no neighbours nearby with any children. In fact, there were no close neighbours to speak of. His home was far from the rest of the small town of Rachel.

Dwight turned quickly on the spot, eyes searching quickly through the night on where the cries could possibly be coming from. They sounded almost as though they might be coming around the corner of the house. What could a baby possibly be doing here, outside, in the middle of the night? Hurriedly, he dug through his messenger bag, knowing he must have an emergency flashlight within somewhere. Yanking out said light, he clicked it on and shuffled away from the door toward the source of the sound.

Moving ever so slowly on his feet, Dwight came around the corner of the house, peeking around for the source of the crying. He spotted the poor thing on the hard, dirty ground. A baby—a newborn by the looks of it—lay there on the cold earth. The babe shook as it cried, seeming to be shivering from the cool night air. The child was covered in blood and fluids, with its umbilical cord still attached. The tissue cord itself was ripped at the end, almost as if it had been violently torn from the mother. And, from the looks of things, Dwight wondered briefly if the baby had been.

The man stood there for a moment, flabbergasted by the sight. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he hurriedly crouched down and yanked off the vest he had been wearing. Carefully, he wrapped the clothing material around the babe, picking up the child from the ground in his cradled arms.

"Hey, there," he whispered gently. "Hey, it's all right now. I've got you." He shushed the babe, hoping to calm it down. The baby coughed, giving another hiccup as its cries slowed down. Eventually, the crying stopped completely. Brown eyes suddenly blinked at him, making Dwight chuckle at the curious expression the baby held. Apparently, the child was just bewildered as he was to suddenly be outside in the night.

"Why, hello there," Dwight said kindly to the baby. The babe merely blinked, continuing to give him this inquisitive and perplexed stare.

The man hummed, looking up and around the area. He lifted up his flashlight from the ground where he had dropped it in his haste to pick up the child. There was no one else in sight. Not that he expected there to be. The house was rather secluded from others. But . . . why was a newborn suddenly appearing upon his doorstep? Where was the mother? She could not be far, could she? It was impossible for the baby to be in such a state and not to have been very recently delivered from the mother. The child was still covered in wet fluids, even bleeding slightly from the umbilical cord. It was impossible for the child to even be here without the mother at least present. But yet, here was the babe with no mother to speak of.

Dwight stared back down at the child, seeing how the baby continued to stare at him with the brown eyes of curiosity. Well, he would be getting nowhere with answers if he were to continue to simply sit here and do nothing. This was a newborn child in need of medical attention. He may be a doctor. But he was a doctor of science, not medicine. He needed to take the child to someone who knew what to do, and he knew just the perfect man. So, he stood up with the baby in arms, turning quickly to the truck. The front light of the home suddenly turned on, with the door opening for him to see his wife, Lia, poke her head out.

"Dear, what is it? Did I hear a coyote?" asked the woman. He noticed how her blonde hair with grey streaks was still wet. Apparently, she had just come from the shower.

"No, no. It's, um . . . well, it's . . .," Dwight tried to answer. He ran a free hand through his own grey hair, trying to think of what to say or how to explain. How did one tell another of a sudden and abrupt appearance of a newborn? The babe in his arms suddenly gave a cough, making his wife blink in confusion.

"Dwight, what do you have there?" Lia asked, stepping out of the house. She walked over towards him. He saw her wrap her robe more tightly around herself as she stepped up next to him. He held the baby slightly more in the moonlight for her to see. Lia merely blinked once more, appearing to be just as dumbfounded as he felt. "What? A baby? Where did you get a baby?" She looked up to him, frowning in disproval. "This isn't some kind of joke or something, is it?"

"No, no," Dwight explained. He glanced back down to the babe in his arms. "I found the baby around the side of the house. Just . . . sitting there out in the open."

"What?" Lia scoffed in disbelief. "Now, who would leave a child by our house?"

Dwight hummed in thought, gazing back over to the spot where he had found the child. It was in a place to where his headlights earlier would have lit up. And he remembered very clearly of there being no baby in that certain area beforehand. So, only logically speaking, the babe must have been placed there when he had been walking to the house. But . . . he would have heard someone walking up and placing the child down. Especially if the babe had been crying. No, this was different. It was almost as if . . .

"I'm not sure. I think," he paused, knowing what his wife would think of him if he said this, but decided to voice his thoughts anyway, "I think the baby just appeared out of nowhere." Lia huffed, crossing her arms in scepticism and doubt.

"Oh, don't be silly. Babies do not just _appear_ out of thin air," his wife scolded him for even saying such a silly notion.

Dwight merely nodded, not wishing to argue with her. He knew how Lia thought of things. Everything had to be normal, simple. Nothing ever to be out of the ordinary. She never dared to believe in such things as the 'strange' or the 'unusual,' such as sudden appearing babies or extraterrestrial beings. Which Dwight always thought as ironic given where they lived and what his job required of him.

But Dwight knew otherwise. Even though it seemed rather illogical, here was the proof of the matter. The baby was here where it should not be. And the evidence around the child showed just as much. The fluids on the baby had been still warm, as though just delivered. There was no possible way for that to have occurred without some means of the child suddenly being brought outside the house. It seemed impossible, yes. But Dwight has always believed in the impossible.

"Well, either way here's a baby," he said with a shrug. Lia peeked at it again, frowning to the infant.

"Why is it still covered in blood?" she pondered. She raised up a finger, gently stroking the baby's cheek. The child blinked at the woman with its bright brown eyes of curiosity. The baby sneezed lightly, beginning to shiver again from the cold air around them. Lia's eyes gave the child a look of sympathy. "Oh, the poor thing. What kind of mother just leaves her child behind like this? That woman should be ashamed of herself."

"Now, honey, we don't know the full story," Dwight said sternly. "How do we know the child wasn't taken away from the mother? Someone could have kidnapped the baby, and then dumped it here in a panic."

"Yes, I suppose," Lia muttered, but still believing that there must be more of a fault on the mother's part.

Dwight tightened his grip on the child as it began to cough and shiver more. "Listen, Lia, I need to take the baby over to Shepherd's. He needs to give the baby a look over."

"All right." Lia backed up, frowning in puzzlement. "Just get back as soon as you get the baby looked at. Then we'll think on what to do with it."

Dwight frowned, not really liking on the idea of them simply calling the child an 'it' or them not really thinking on what to do with the babe. But he knew he would have to discuss this more properly with Lia after he got back. "Right. I'll be right back. Make sure to get some blankets together, some pillows, and maybe even an old shirt of mine for the babe once I get back." He opened the door to his truck, placing the baby gently inside as he hopped in himself, slamming the door behind him. He made sure to hold the baby close in one arm as he started the vehicle and was ready to go.

Lia waved him off as he pulled out of the driveway, heading towards town. Well . . . if one could truly count Rachel as a town. Dwight kept a firm hold of the child as he steered the truck down the way. Every so often, he would glance down at the baby, seeing how the child continued to stare up at him in interest. Only every so often did the child look away, staring brightly out the window to the sky, or once at the one street light of Rachel. Dwight could not help but chuckle and find this baby strangely interesting in the way the child seemed to be so keen in observing the world. Especially since it was odd in a newborn holding such awareness of the world.

Finally, he pulled up into the gravel driveway of Dr Gus Shepherd. It was a small house, sitting on the opposite side the town, almost as secluded as Dwight and Lia's own house. Shepherd was an old friend of Dwight's extending all the way back when they had joined up together within the Air Force. They worked together through the military, staying in touch even when Dwight had discharged and went to a university to study physics, engineering, and materialistic science. Shepherd had even helped Dwight earn a top notch job within the military, somehow leading them to work at Area 51. Sometimes Dwight could hardly believe that they worked on that base. It just seemed too surreal to get his head wrapped around working in such a top secret place. But, in their career and lives together, he knew he could trust Shepherd with anything. Especially with a situation such as this.

Dwight held the baby close as it began to shiver once more from the night air as he stepped outside his truck. He tucked in his vest around the child, praying that it did not catch a cold after this night. Hurriedly walking to the house door, Dwight knocked loudly, hoping that Shepherd was still awake. Standing there impatiently as he knocked repeatedly, he finally squinted his eyes at the porch light pierced the dark night.

"What?!" Shepherd yelled angrily as he flung the door open. "It's in the middle of the night and I'd like some peace after a long day at work!" Shepherd fumed for a moment longer before blinking in surprise when seeing who actually stood on his doorstep. "Dwight? What in the blazes are you doing here?"

Dwight shifted uncomfortably on his feet in front of the large, short man, not really liking to be so rude at such a late hour. But this was an emergency after all, and the closest hospital was at least an hour away. The child might be in serve danger, and driving for that long was out of the option.

"Sorry, Gus, but I need a favor," Dwight told the man quickly. Shepherd raised a brow of disbelief, giving Dwight a hard stare.

"A favor? At this late? You must be joking, Dwight," Shepherd grounded out in annoyance. The baby within Dwight's arms coughed, making Shepherd shift his gaze towards the child. He blinked in astonishment, not quite sure what to think about a baby being in Dwight's care. Especially when seeing the child still covered in blood and fluids, which were somewhat dry by now.

"Um . . . it's sort of an emergency," Dwight responded, adjusting the baby in his arms somewhat.

"Yes, I can see that. Well, come in, come in. You can explain to me where the baby came from later," Shepherd replied, waving Dwight to come inside. Stepping inside the house, Dwight walked over into the kitchen with Shepherd. The medical doctor flipped on the light, giving them a chance to see the baby more clearly as Dwight set the child onto the kitchen tabletop.

The babe was small, but not so little to cause much worry. Dwight saw how the child had a mop of brown hair on its head. Then he observed how the baby continued to stare at the two men with the same curious brown eyes, watching the newcomer Shepherd in perplexity as the medical doctor gather up a bowl of warm water, a wash rag, and his medical kit. Dwight smiled, waving a finger lightly at the baby as it almost seemed to smile at him.

"So, boy or girl?" Shepherd asked casually as he set his supplies on the table. Dwight blinked, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

"I didn't really think to check," he admitted. "I felt like that might be a bit . . . invasive." He scratched lightly at his temple out of embarrassment, not meeting the side gaze of Shepherd's. The medical doctor shook his head in exasperation and pulled back the vest from around the child.

"Congratulations, it's a girl," Shepard muttered as he pulled out a pair of scissors. He snipped the excess umbilical cord away from the body and pinched the rest with a clip so the baby would not bleed out. He made sure to gently wash off the blood and fluids with the rag from the water bowl. Then, he wiped the umbilical cord area with alcohol, wanting to be certain to keep infection away. All the while he did this, he found it odd on how quiet the child was and how the babe stared at him. It seemed to examine him in the same way he did to it. It was a very strange feeling in being observed so closely by a baby, but he shrugged it off and finished by wrapping a large towel around the babe.

"There, all cleaned up. Everything seems to be in order outwardly," Shepherd finally said to Dwight after he had finished cleaning the child. He began to pull out a few other tools from his medical bag. "Can I ask why exactly you have a baby with you?"

"You see . . . I'm not quite sure," Dwight said, adjusting his glasses as he wondered on how exactly he should explain such an occurrence. "She just sort of . . . appeared out of nowhere. One minute, no baby. Then the next, baby." He waved his hand lightly towards the child. "I found her crying next to the house, just . . . lying there, screaming in fright. I have no idea where she came from, who placed her there, and why she was set next to the house."

"Well, she didn't just appear out of nowhere," Shepherd grumbled. Dwight hummed lightly, thinking how his friend always did seem strict and regulated. Shepherd was more open-minded in the impossible than Lia was. But the man was still curt and to the point about certain things in life.

"There's no other option I can think of at the moment," he said to Shepherd.

"The mother must have abandoned it when you weren't there or looking," Shepherd dismissed.

Dwight shook his head. "But when the baby was still warm and covered with fluids? That must have been one hell of a quick delivery. Then, the parents would have had to drive at full speed over to my house, place her right outside my home, and leave within a few seconds before I walked over to the screaming child. How can you possibly logically explain that?"

Shepherd scoffed lightly. "You're just over thinking it too much."

"And you're not thinking enough."

Shepherd huffed, placing in the earpieces of his stethoscope. "Look, do you want me to give the baby a checkup or not?"

Dwight held up his hands slightly in surrender, dropping the subject on the appearance of the baby all together. If no one wanted to place the obvious questions as he did, then fine. Let them believe the mother of the child was completely at fault. But he still held firm in thinking something else was at play here.

"Look, Dwight, I know how you think. You have your head in the clouds and always want to believe in the extraordinary," Shepherd began to say as he pressed the end piece of the stethoscope on the child's chest. "But I can say one thing for sure; there is absolutely nothing unusual about this," there was falter in Shepard's words as his hand with the end piece froze over the baby's chest, "child." Dwight stared at Shepherd in confusion when the man had trailed off in his sentence, gazing in awe at the baby.

"What is it?" he questioned, finding it strange how Shepherd's eyes went wide with shock. Dwight watched as the medical doctor moved the stethoscope around the baby's chest, seeming to be triple checking something. As if he could not believe what he was hearing.

"Dwight . . . listen and tell me that I'm just hearing things," Shepherd said slowly, removing the stethoscope from himself and handing it over to Dwight.

Raising his brows in bewilderment, Dwight slowly placed on the stethoscope. Leaning forward, he gently pressed the end to the child's chest, listening intently to what could have caused Shepherd's alarmed reaction. He blinked in surprise, realizing what exactly had shocked his friend so much. He himself was in great disbelief as to what he was hearing. He had to move the stethoscope around to make sure he was hearing correctly as well. But there was no mistaking it. He saw the baby blink at him curiously as he listened in the two hearts beating away inside her chest. Two hearts creating a four beating pattern. He slowly moved away from the baby, staring at it in astonishment.

"Amazing," breathed Dwight. "Two hearts. She has two hearts."

"Oh, my god," Shepherd whispered, staring at the baby in awe.

Dwight shook his head lightly. "This is . . . incredible."

"This needs to be reported," Shepherd said briskly, turning around to quickly get to the phone.

Dwight stared at him in alarm. "What?" He hurriedly went up the medical doctor, yanking the phone out of the man's hands and slamming it down as Shepherd began to dial the number. "You can't be serious."

"Dwight, you and I both know what this means. It's the same as that . . . _Doctor_ I had to check over when he arrived to base." Shepherd glanced at the babe when it hiccupped, seeming wary suddenly. "It's like _him_. It's some sort of . . . government experiment or something. Just like Colonel Jefferson said."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's . . . just a coincidence." Dwight kept a firm hold on the phone as Shepherd tried to grab it once more. "She can't be like him. And even, by some small chance, she was some kind of 'experiment' or another kind of creature, then it doesn't mean we should automatically jump the gun and report it to Colonel Jefferson. And not only that but who says that the Doctor isn't human in the first place? Isn't he supposed to be a special agent from Britain or something?" Dwight knew he was trying to fool himself. There was too much mystery and impossibilities around this Doctor that logically screamed extraterrestrial. He somewhat wanted to truly believe that there were other-worldly beings from beyond Earth. But at the current moment, he also wanted to convince Shepherd not to turn the little baby girl into the military. God knows what horrid things would happen to the child if they ever got their hands on her.

"You know our orders. Base has been on high alert ever since that Doctor arrived and everyone has been on edge for something else was to pop up. If we ever encounter something like this, then we have to report it," Shepherd spoke strictly.

Dwight threw at hand in the direction of the child. "How do we even know she's not just a normal baby, but was just born with a birth defect?"

Shepherd gritted his teeth in frustration. "A hole in the heart is a birth defect. A damn missing limb is a birth defect. This . . . this is not something a human would be born with."

"How do we know that? Humans can be born with a second head. I know damn sure there were cases of seconds hearts as well. Why can't she be one of those cases?"

"Don't be foolish. For God sake's, it's not human! You said it yourself. It just appeared out of nowhere. How do we know it wasn't teleported down to cause us all harm? We're not that far from base. It might be here to help the Doctor in some way."

" _She_ just appeared out of nowhere. And as you pointed out earlier, I was just being a moron in thinking of such an occurrence." Dwight rubbed at the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "And for Pete's sakes, Gus, she's just a baby. She's not some monster out to destroy anyone." They both looked over at the child as she began to hiccup slightly, waving her tiny fists in the air and kicking her small feet out slightly. Dwight noticed how her eyes seemed to travel around, staring curiously at nothing in particular from what he could see. But the way the child gazed around, eyes moving along as if following the movement of something within the air, it made him wonder what exactly the baby was looking at.

"All right, all right, I'll admit it, I might be overreacting somewhat," Shepherd finally replied, giving a sigh of exhaustion. He shook his head firmly. "But you have to admit it's highly unusual and too big of a coincidence for this not to be tied into something bigger than us. I mean, sure, the baby and that Doctor don't exactly look like the . . . other creatures they've picked up from Roswell. But it doesn't mean they're human, either." Shepherd grabbed the phone once more.

Dwight slammed it back down once again. "And it also doesn't mean that we have to report the child to Colonel Jefferson." They stared harshly at each other for a moment. Their own moral codes coming into conflict with their friendship. Dwight kept his strict gaze evenly on Shepherd. "You and I both know what will happen to this child once they take her. It's the same reason why they had you examine that Doctor fellow. They planned on dissecting him just like they did to the others from Roswell."

Shepherd frowned in disproval but seemed to be contemplating and seeing the insight to what Dwight was saying. "Well, now . . . those creatures were dead when they found them, so that's different. I don't think they would go and do such a thing to one that's living."

"Don't be gullible, Gus. Of course they would. They knew exactly what they wanted to do to that man on base. The only reason they didn't was because of orders from above. But it will be different with her. Children are easy to slip through the cracks. They can easily get away with it if they wanted to."

The medical doctor rolled his eyes. "I very much doubt they would dissect a child."

Dwight hardened his stare. "And I very much doubt they wouldn't. I don't exactly trust most who work with us. Just as I know you don't, either." They stood in silence for a while, both having their own internal agreement that it would be best in the end for the child to keep this secret. However, Shepherd still had his conflictions.

"Well, what do you suppose we're supposed to do with it—," Shepherd began to say.

" _Her_ ," Dwight said gruffly, interrupting the medical doctor. Shepherd grunted, looking annoyed to be told off.

"Sorry. _Her_. What are we supposed to do with her? Keep her locked up in our houses or something?" Shepherd questioned, sounded irritated in the very thought of keeping such a strange child with them. He lowered his voice slightly as he continued to speak. "Listen here, Dwight, we both know we need to do something about this. If you don't want to give her up to base, fine. But there's got to be something we can do."

"I'll handle it," Dwight said firmly. He turned and walked over to the child. Smiling down kindly, he gently picked up the baby girl, holding her close. He saw how she stared up at him in interest, but at the same time, seeming to give the smallest of smiles at him as well. "I'll take care of her."

Shepherd scoffed under his breath, shaking his head and giving the man next to him an expression of disbelief. " _You_ are going to take care of her? Really?"

Dwight faltered, about to answer Shepherd in a determined reply, but closed his mouth slowly when thinking upon those words. Could he take care of a child? Well, really, it would be both him and Lia taking care of the girl. They never had children before, so could they do it? Gazing at the child in his arms, his eyes softened as he saw the little girl staring at him. She held such an innocent gaze, seeming just as uncertain with the situation as he felt. Perhaps she was even frightened by the strange and vast world around. He remembered feeling that way himself so long ago. How could he possibly let this child grow up as alone and scared as he had?

"Yeah. I will," Dwight said, determination heard in his tone as he was set on keeping the child. Shepherd stared at the man for a moment longer before scoffing and shaking his head.

"Lia is not going to be happy," said the medical doctor. He gathered up his tools from the table, beginning to place them away to be cleaned. Glancing at Dwight as the man began to head towards the door, Shepherd turned and stared strictly at his friend. "Dwight, before anything else, I want to get this clear. If at any time that child becomes a threat—."

"She won't," Dwight said curtly, growing agitated on how determined Shepherd seemed to be in seeing the baby as some kind of monster out to get them.

"And how do we know that, huh?" Shepherd marched up to Dwight, glancing at the child and felt wary in how the baby continued to stare at him in an observing way. It was not natural for a newborn to have that sort of gaze. "All I'm saying is, sometime when she gets older, she might just show her true colors. She might be all innocent now, but how do we know that will last?"

"She's not some kind of monster, Gus. She's just a child." Dwight walked briskly outside, making certain to tuck the towel around the baby so that she would be warm enough from the night air.

"That may be . . . but things might change as she gets older." Shepherd stood a ways from the truck as Dwight got into the vehicle. "Dwight, if things do happen to change, get worse, then I can't just sit by and let just you handle it. I'll have to call it in."

"You won't have to." Dwight gave the man an even stare before letting out a puff of air. "Thanks for helping, Gus. I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it." Shepherd turned to walk back into his house, before glancing briefly back at Dwight. "No really, _don't_ mention it. I don't want to get involved in whatever you're putting yourself through with that child."

Dwight rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Goodnight, Gus." He slammed the truck door, glancing briefly at Shepherd as the medical doctor waved and walked back into his house.

As Dwight started up his vehicle, he could not help but feel that perhaps Shepherd's warning might just come true one day. But really, Dwight knew there was nothing he could do about it now. All he had to do was hope and pray that he could handle it when the time came.

XxXxXxXx

"You want us to do _what_?"

The clock in the corner of the small living seemed to tick loudly as Dwight's nerves slowly grew. He held an anxious expression as Lia had her arms crossed tightly and stared at him strictly. Currently, he sat down in his comfortable chair with the baby setting in a small wooden crib in front of him. The child had fallen asleep the moment he had placed her within the bed, rocking her gently in comfort. Lia found him there rocking the baby, eyeing him pointedly as if questioning why he still had the child with him. Then after a few minutes of Lia asking Dwight about what he was going to do with the child, it led to him suggesting . . .

"We are _not_ keeping the baby," Lia continued to speak sternly.

"What other options do we have?" Dwight countered. He glanced down when he saw the baby stir, rocking the crib to soothe the babe back into slumber.

"How about we take her to the police in instead," Lia retorted curtly. "They can take her to an orphanage where her parents can pick her up later." Dwight gave a sigh, shaking his head.

"Lia, you and I both know that taking the baby there will automatically set her up to having a grim life," he argued. "You know how messed up the system is."

Lia rolled her eyes, giving her own shake of disagreement. "You turned out just fine."

Dwight's eyes hardened, growing irritated by Lia lack of understanding to just how awful life within the system can be. "Yes, but I got lucky. I actually was adopted in the end. Most kids never pull through and move onto a better future. Most just get stuck in the system forever, or end up in juvenile detention. Sometimes worse than even that."

Lia sighed, staring down at the baby in the crib. "Yes, I know. I just . . . I don't see what other options we have."

"We take care of her, of course."

Raising her brows in a sceptical expression, Lia could only stare at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I not be serious about a situation like this?" Dwight cleared his throat as he saw the agitated tapping foot of Lia, knowing that this was a sign of her growing in anger. He needed to get his idea out first before she became too angry to be levelled-headed enough in their conversation. "Look . . . she has nowhere else to go, we have plenty of room and are able to provide for her, and I absolutely refuse to take her to the police or social services."

Letting out a scoff, Lia shook her head in disbelief. She remained silent for a minute, seeming to contemplate on what exactly Dwight was suggesting. "We are over fifty years old, Dwight. Far too old to take care of a child. We've never even had children of our own. How do you expect us to be able to raise her correctly?"

"Age won't matter on raising a child," Dwight countered. He rocked the crib, smiling down at the sleeping child. "Besides, don't you think that maybe this is life giving us a chance? We can finally have a child of our own like we always wished for."

Lia huffed, tapping her foot in annoyance for a few more seconds. Then, as the baby let out a small sneeze and cuddled up into the blanket Dwight had placed around her earlier, the older woman's eyes softened. Sitting down on her knees, Lia gently rubbed a finger along the child's cheek. Breathing out in a puff, Lia glanced at Dwight sceptically once more before looking back at the baby.

"I have always wondered what a baby would look like in some of the clothes we have," Lia admitted. "And all those other toys and baby stuff does need to be put to good use instead of just collecting dust." Dwight smiled, happy to see his wife beginning to think over the possibilities of their life with this little girl.

"I think she would really appreciate that in the end," he commented, rubbing a soothing hand over the child's head.

"But what if I'm not meant to be a mother, Dwight?" Lia looked up to her husband with uncertain eyes. "What if I was never able to conceive for a reason?"

"Well . . . maybe it was for this? Maybe we needed to be here for her."

Lia hummed in thought, remaining quiet for a few moments as the husband and wife continued to stare at their new quest. The woman petted the child's face for a minute longer before looking up in thought to her husband. "What should we call her?"

"Hmm . . . I'm not sure," Dwight responded, gazing up to the ceiling as if looking for an answer there. "I haven't thought of that yet."

Lia glanced back down at the babe, giving a light smile. "Aleena."

Dwight blinked in surprise. "What? 'Aleena'?"

"Yes. It's an old name in my family. It means 'bearer of the light,'" Lia explained to her husband.

Dwight frowned in thought. "I thought that was your Aunt's name and it meant 'alone.' Don't you hate your Aunt? I remembered you calling her a stuck up—" His wife's response was to merely shush him. Gazing back down at the baby girl, Dwight nodded and smiled. "Aleena. I think that name suits her just fine. Welcome to the family, Aleena."

Lia petted the child's cheek once more before standing up slowly, trying to bend out her knees carefully as she always did have trouble with her legs. She looked pointedly at her husband once more, right back to business. "We're going to have to get paperwork together to be able to make us her legal guardians. Then, we have to get milk and diapers and proper bedding. Oh, Lord, what will everyone think in town once they find out? How will we tell them? _What_ will we tell them?"

"We'll tell them the truth. We found her abandoned by our house. Simple enough," Dwight said calmly. "And don't worry, I'll take care of everything tomorrow myself."

"Are you going to take her to the hospital for a proper check-up?" Lia questioned. Dwight straightened up so suddenly with a firm expression that Lia actually felt surprised by his sudden change in demeanour.

"No. I've already taken care of that with Gus," he said firmly. "She's all fine and in perfect health. No reason for her to go anywhere else." Lia rolled her eyes.

"Look, Dwight, I know you trust Gus more than the doctors from the city, but you have to get her checked out by the professionals," she said in a scolding manner.

"I'm not taking her," Dwight said in a final tone. Lia threw her hands up in the air in frustration, knowing when he got like this there was no more getting around the subject. She could push him around to agree with her on many things, but on a few touchy subjects he would never budge.

"Fine, fine," she grumbled, walking swiftly towards the hall that led to their bedroom. "But don't think you can have just Gus look over her. Eventually, we'll have to take her to the doctor's." Lia went into the far room, getting the area ready to place the baby crib beside their bed for the night.

Dwight remained in the small living room, rocking little baby Aleena in her bed. He stared at her carefully, slowly realizing what harm would come to the child if anyone ever found about her. It would be disastrous to say the least. Some people might see her as just born special of sorts, of course. There was always those many out there who wished to ignore the truly extraordinary or unique in the world and simply continue on with their meaningless lives. But others . . . would not be so fooled. Others might know exactly what the child was, and would gladly take her away in an instant. Never to be seen or heard from again as they would conduct horrid experiments, tests, or even brainwash her for their own desires. Her life, taken away from her forever.

No, Dwight would not let this happen. He would protect her; make certain that she would never see this harm befall onto her life. She would grow up peacefully, in the most normal childhood he could provide for her. For she was his daughter now. Though not by blood, she was a part of the family, and as Dwight always did for his family, he would keep them from harm. And no matter who or what she was, where she came from, or what she would grow up to be, he promised there and then to little Aleena that he would always keep her safe.

XxXxXxXx

And so, that concludes chapter one. I hope you all enjoyed it! :D Please let me know if you did or what thoughts you would like to give the story in a review. It helps me know if you all are enjoying the story. Plus, this story is going to be a bit different. Trying some new things here and there. I want you guys to be able to add things you wish to see and so forth in the story. :) I hope that sounds like a good idea. If not, just let me know what you guys think!

Can't wait to get into the story and see where it takes us. :)

Sorry it took me a bit to update in the first place. Took a bit of a break from writing. As promised, here are the replies for the reviews from the last story. :)

Reviewers:

 **normandy1701** : As I knew you did. ;) I know I'm just as sad about Wanda. Honestly, I don't what will happen. Mostly I think this will just be a new journey with a new character. I hope that you'll like it. And Aleena too, of course. :) Haven't watch any of the new season just yet, so I need to catch up. Hope to see you again in the future!

 **Momochan77** : I honestly don't know what to feel about it, either. You are right, it was a happy ending for her. No more suffering or struggles for our dear Wanda anymore. Though it isn't very happy for us I suppose. ;-; But there is some hope to see what is to come with Aleena and her adventures. I hope that this story will give you the same happiness and joy as the last series did. :)

 **silverhawk88** : Ah, more of Aleena came from Wanda. ;) Aleena is indeed Wanda and the Doctor's daughter after all. I'm very glad you liked the last series. I just hope that this story will be much better than the last. If not, then at least a good enough read. :) Hope to see from you again soon! Take care!

 **All The Stories Are True** : I can't believe it, either. It's both sad and happy at the same time seeing how the story wrapped up. No, thank you for sticking around for so long. Thank you for giving the story support and helping me to become a better writer for you and all other readers out there. Just thank you so much. :) I really hope to see you again through the new story and that you have a Happy New Year.

 **Wicken25** : What indeed. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

 **mjahappy** : Hope that means you're excited for the new story. ;)

 **Guest(a)** : I'm afraid so. :(

 **SakuraRcoa** : haha I'm sorry. But don't worry, things will be cleared in this story. That I promise. :)

 **swimmjacket** : I'm very sorry. :( I hope that maybe you can grow to love Aleena as you had with Wanda. There's still much left to come. I cannot wait to see what you think of it all. :D Yes, indeed, you were right haha ;) Well, there's still a lot left to be said, so I won't go into any spoilers. But I will say there was will quite a few surprises to come. I really hope that you like it! Take care!

 **bored411** : I'm sorry. I know I cried, too. ;-; Though with one Wanderer gone, a new one arrives. I hope that you'll like her. :)

 **shadowcaster01** : And I thank you so very much for sticking with the story for so long. I'm so glad that it remained a good read for you. Here's to hoping this one will be just a good, eh? ;) Ah, so many questions and so many answers to find. You'll be happy to know that everything will be coming together with this instalment. I hope that you'll enjoy it! See you in the future with the next part. :)

 **Paigetcute** : Very glad you liked it. Even if the ending was a bit all over the place with the emotions and such. Hope you enjoy the new story!

 **sam** : haha Yes, indeed.

 **LovableAmethyst129** : As often happens in Doctor Who I think haha ;)

 **Whovianeverlark17** : Trust me, I'm crying there with you. ;-; But don't think of it as a sad ending. For our Wanda, it was truly happy. She found her peace in the very end. And there's plenty more adventures awaiting for us ahead. I hope that you will like them. :)

 **John736** : I'm very much glad that you liked it. :) Really hope that this story will be just as likable. Happy New Year! See you in the future, I hope.

 **Guest(b)** : I know the ending may have seem a bit sad. Though it was saddening to us does not mean it was sad for our dear Wanda. She was truly happy in the end. Hope you'll like new story. :)

 **KatieWinchester02** : I'm very sorry. I know I'm crying as well. ;-;

 **ramble-on-melody** : haha Glad you're excited. Can't wait to see what you think of the new story. :)

 **ChickenPotPie** : Though one story ends, a new one begins. Something I like to think when it comes to Wanda's end. Oh, the Old Boe Face. Interesting what he said to her. Though was it something really meant for her especially, or was it meant to be taken another way? Perhaps she did know what was to come with Aleena in the end? Hmm, so many questions. Guess we'll have to wait to find out. ;)

 **OHShik** : Aww, why thank you. I'm very glad you enjoyed it so much. :) There's still a lot unknown to come. Even for me. Who knows where the story will take us. But all will be answered, I promise you that. Though I don't think I will be doing any adventures with the Thirteenth Doctor. Maybe a brief meeting with her, but at the moment I don't have any plans. Hope that's okay. Until next time!

 **Guest(c)** : haha I'm sorry. Can't help the cliffhangers sometimes. ;)

 **Nott01** : I'm very sorry. :( But the final part four is here. I hope you like it!

 **FREYA ASTRID NOVA** : I'm very glad you liked it. Even if it was very sad to read. I cried as well, believe me. But though it may have ended sad for us, doesn't mean it was not a happy ending for our Wanda. She was at peace in the end, trust me. Though for the Doctor, maybe not so much. Let's hope things will be better for him in the future. Yep, Aleena is indeed their daughter. Actually, Aleena is Ember. As we saw here, she had her abilities to save her from the Master. More of which will be explained in the future to come. Hope to see you for the more to come! :)

 **Will** : I'm just so glad that you've enjoyed it for so long. I really hope I can continue to bring enjoyment through the next part to come. :)

 **kissforMrSmith** : And thank you for giving support to the story and helping me become an even better writer for you. :) I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the instalment. Take care!

 **N7SpaceHamster** : haha No worries as always. ;) Sorry that I'm late getting back into the swing of things in writing. Really needed a break. Hope you understand. :( If there was anyone who would have fought as hard as the Doctor in keeping Wanda alive, it would be River. That adventure was very hard for everyone during that moment. As you said, between a rock and a hard place. But, again, you pointed out correctly. It was a happy ending for Wanda. Even if it wasn't for us or the Doctor. :( Hahaha Glad the epilogue surprised you so much. Yep, Aleena is Ember. Not much else I could say, except thank you so much. You've helped support the story so much and I could never show how much that means to me. Just, thank you from the utter bottom of my heart. Thank you. :) Wish I could do a heart symbol but FF won't let people put that in *sigh* Well, until next time! Take care friend. :)

 **NoVacancyMind** : I'm very sorry. :( To be fair, though it was sad for us, it was not a sad ending for Wanda. She was at peace in the end. More to come though! Don't know what is waiting for us here in the future. Hope you like it. :)

 **m** : Oh, I like Made in Abyss. Very good show. And sadly, no. That would be something that could never happen at this point.

 **NightHunterDeath** : I know. I'm just as devastated for the poor Doctor. :( Though I think Wanda was at peace at the end. So there is that at least. Ah, so many questions with so many answers to come. You'll just have to wait and see for all mysteries to be solved in the future. ;) But I do promise everything will be answered in this last part of the story. Aww, thank you! That really means so much to me. It's hard for me to wrap my head around how long this story has come along. I feel like there's still much of which I had not done well in and still so much more I can do for you and other readers. I just really hope this story will be just as enjoyable as the last. Until next time!

Oh man, I can't wait to jump into this story and see where it takes us! :D Get ready for a ride everyone!

~Tinker~


	2. Ch 2: Early Years

Hello again!

Has everyone been having a good week? I hope so! :)

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 2: Early Years

To say Aleena was a normal child would be a lie. Dwight knew there was nothing normal about her the moment he discovered her outside of his and Lia's home. The two hearts beating within the baby's small chest only showed this abnormality even more so. However, he thought that those occurrences might be where it ended for little Aleena's oddities. Truly though, it was far from over for the extraordinary little girl that was now a part of his and Lia's life.

It was the next day that Dwight went into the city and gathered the proper paperwork to make himself and Lia guardians of the child. Social services allowed them both to keep the child as an emergency temporary home. There was really no use to take the child away and put her into foster care or an orphanage since both were willing to take care of the baby. Luckily, having lived within the system himself, Dwight knew exactly how to get things done as quickly as possible. It also did not hurt knowing the right people which helped things along the way. In the end, they had everything done and over within only three weeks' time. It was made official. Both Dwight and Lia Tate were now proud parents of little Aleena Tate. And truly, neither could be any happier.

Dwight himself was already happy and willing to let the child join the family, even from the very start. He had always wanted to be a father and now he finally had that chance. Lia, on the other hand, took some time to warm up to the child. Yes, she agreed to allow the baby to live with them and was even glad to provide a loving home for little Aleena. However, it still did not mean that Lia felt as though she should completely allow herself to fall into the role as a mother. After all, she had given up on the dream of being a mother decades ago. To suddenly have that chance now, Dwight knew it must be almost overwhelming for her. But as the months passed, having a small and innocent life to take care made Lia grow fond of the baby. Soon, Dwight saw how Lia seemed to gain a slight bounce in her step as she took up the new role in her life. Even if she constantly denied her affection, he knew that secretly Lia was overjoyed by having a child of their own.

Things seemed to grow steady and customary for them as they adjusted their life with the newcomer of the home. Luckily, Lia had retired about a year ago, so she was able to take care of the child quite easily while Dwight himself continued on with his own job. And whenever he returned home afterwards, he was always glad to help immediately in taking care of little Aleena. They had arranged up the old storage room to be a suitable place for the baby girl to live. In the very same room which they had been planning on having their own children living in when they had tried for a child many years ago. The walls were even still painted blue from their expectancy to have a boy, with baby boy clothes still packed away in their boxes. Lia kept saying how she would make a trip to gather up some baby girl clothing for Aleena, but Dwight said how he didn't think the little girl would mind wearing boy outfits for the time being. As he had stated, 'Might as well put the old clothes to good use, right?'

Yes, things were quite usual for them. Nothing irregular to speak of. That is, until Dwight began to notice a few things.

They were little at first. He did not even think of it in the beginning, but . . . The newborn baby being able to lift her hands up in the air, even her legs in a slight way, was very unusual. As well as the way the child seemed to always hold eye contact with him, Lia, or anyone else who came by to see the child. Nothing that a normal baby should be able to do until three months of age. At least, that is what the children's care books had said when Dwight studied over them. But of course, there was always the exception to the rule, so he merely passed these off as simply nothing to note.

Then as time passed, Dwight noticed how the child did not seem to cry very much. Only on a few occasions when necessary for the baby to let them know of her diaper needing changed or to feed her. Other than that, little Aleena was very quiet. Sometimes so quiet that he felt the need to walk into her room to check up on her and make certain that she was all right. But of course, as always, he would be greeted with the observing gaze of the baby, constantly curious with those wandering brown eyes of hers. When he brought up his concerns to Lia or other friends of his, they laughed and dismissed his worries, telling him that it was normal for some babies to be more calm and quiet than others. But of course, others found it funny to tease him on the choice he and Lia made in raising a child in the first place when truly they all believed the couple to be too old for such a thing. But Dwight would always wave these comments off, knowing it was just his friends' ways of being concerned in him and Lia pushing themselves in the task of taking care of a baby.

And so, when three months had passed, Dwight (and even Lia) noticed in surprise how quickly the child was developing. Dwight had found little Aleena sitting up already within her crib, smiling at him when he walked into seeing her holding out a toy to him. She even babbled quietly at him, gurgling and giggling as he walked over to pick her up, ready to feed her for the night. Then, a few more months passed, and Lia discovered Aleena standing up in her crib one morning, even trying to walk around on the small bed. Of course, the baby fell down each time with a bounce, unable to completely stay up properly. And then there was the words the child was beginning to speak, or at least trying to say to them, little things that really she should not be able to even babble. Dwight and Lia both knew that a baby should not be even able to do such a thing until at least a year old. Lia stated in delight that their child might grow up to be a genius with how advance she was. Dwight only smiled and nodded, hoping dearly that it was just an unusual case of their child being quick to develop than normal.

But in his gut, Dwight knew that there was nothing truly ordinary about the child. For he saw Aleena's uniqueness whenever he would catch the child staring with keen interest up around the room, seeming to track moving objects with her eyes carefully. Nothing that he could see for himself, and certainly not Lia or anyone else for that matter. Dwight wondered that maybe it was something within the air that only the child could see for herself. To which he knew he should not be thinking or believing in such things, but there was always that possibility of this child having some sort of unique sight that others did not possess. But of course, he kept these notions and thoughts to himself, knowing others would only laugh or call him crazy.

It still did not mean that he did not worry. If the child continued to develop at the rate she was, it would attract the interest of others. And this might cause consequences leading up to the child being taken away from her family if suspicion grew large enough. Dwight tried to keep himself realistic in mind, knowing that truly not everyone is going to recognize immediately what is different about the child. Only he himself who knew that there was something strange about the child would see the obvious. So most likely, no one would ever suspect a thing. But it still did not mean that Dwight would not worry.

His worriment only escalated on the day he discovered just what little Aleena could do.

It was his day off work, relaxing in the living and reading the morning paper. He could hear Lia in the kitchen cooing to their daughter and feeding Aleena in her highchair. Aleena was still rather small for being a little over a year old now. Nothing too severe to worry over, but Lia still seemed to be determined to get their child to the proper weight as their parenting books suggested. When a knock came from the front door, Dwight had only just glanced up from his paper when Lia came into the room and swiftly opened the door.

"Oh! Angie, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot today was Thursday," Lia said to their arriving guest. Dwight could see it was his wife's shopping friend Angie, an elderly woman, much older than the couple themselves, who always wore her Sunday best and kept to a tight schedule in her life. Angie stepped into their house, sniffing as she eyed the place in a careful manner.

"Yes, well, you have become rather absent-minded since that child arrived," the elderly woman said, seeming to dismiss Lia's apology. She looked down to the timeworn pocket watch chained to her purse, clicking it open to examine the time. "If we are going to make the sales in time, we'll have to leave now."

"Yes, of course. Just let me gather up my things," Lia said, hurriedly going back to the bedroom to get her purse.

Folding up his paper in a neat fashion, Dwight only glanced up briefly towards Angie before standing up to go into the kitchen to check on Aleena, moving himself as far away from Angie as he could get. It was not that he did not like her per say . . . No, no, he was lying. He really did not like Angie at all.

She was very much stuck in her family's traditional ways, believing that everyone she knew should follow in her footsteps. People who might live differently or seem odd in any manner were looked down upon by the elderly woman. For example, a fifty-two-year-old couple taking in a child not related to them by blood seemed to be far too taboo to Angie. Dwight gritted his teeth together when recalling how Angie wanted to scold both him and Lia on taking in some 'tramp's' child. He was just glad that Lia had been the one to be swift in changing the subject, for he had been awfully close to simply telling the elderly woman that she was no longer welcome in their house. He put up with a lot from her already, but calling their child a tramp and scolding them on adoption, in general, was something he would not stand for.

Really, one might be asking why exactly Lia and Dwight were even friends with the elderly woman. Well, Dwight never truly considered himself as a friend to Angie. More like an unwelcome acquaintance. But Angie had been an old friend of Lia's family, so his wife remained friendly with the woman. It also did not hurt by Lia feeling sorry for Angie since the woman was all alone now with her husband passing away only a few months ago and her son dying in the war. So, Dwight remained quiet in the background when it came to Lia's friendship with Angie.

Dwight had just stepped around the corner of the kitchen, walking by the refrigerator when he halted in his steps. Eyes widening in stunned silence, the only thing he could do was stare at little Aleena sitting in her highchair. He watched as the child held out her arms in an outstretched manner, wiggling her fingers in the air as she reached for her bottle. The bottle which now wobbled in midair as it floated towards her from the kitchen table. Aleena's eyes could be seen focused solely on the bottle. Her face scrunched in hard concentration. But no matter how much she reached out with her little grasping fingers, the bottle did not seem to move any closer. It seemed she was struggling on getting it to simply float away from the table at all.

"We're leaving now, dear," he heard Lia call from the living room.

Dwight walked swiftly to the bottle, snatching it out of the air and held it tight in his grasp. Aleena in her chair blinked at him, appearing confused that he would grab it away from her reach. She made displeased noise, holding her hands up to him and opened and closed them in a grasping manner, most likely wanting him to give her the bottle. But Dwight ignored this as he turned hurriedly around, holding the bottle behind his back.

"You can watch Aleena for a while, right?" Lia said, not really asking but more of telling him what was expected to happen for the day while she was out.

"Uh—yeah. Yeah, of—of course," Dwight said with uncertainty. He gave his wife a wary smile. "Have fun, honey." Lia nodded curtly, turning to walk out of the house with Angie.

Dwight held his breath until he heard the truck starting up and leaving the driveway. Letting out his breath in a gust, he felt relieved to have caught Aleena's actions in time before his wife discovered it.

"Daddy! Milk!" cried Aleena next to him. He looked over to her, seeing the child reaching out her hands for him to give her the bottle. Handing the drink over, Aleena grasped it tight in her little fists and began drinking from the bottle hurriedly.

He could only continue to stare at her in amazement as she drank from her bottle. Grabbing a chair from the kitchen table, he sat down next to the child and observed her for a moment. Aleena watched him, slowly pulling the bottle away from her mouth as she seemed curious by him taking such a sudden interest to her. Looking down at her bottle and then back at him, she held out the drink to him as if offering to share.

"Thank you, Aleena," Dwight said, taking the bottle from her. Examining the bottle, he could see if there was anything out of the ordinary about it. It was nothing more than a simple plain bottle. Sitting it down carefully on the table across from Aleena, he turned his attention back to her. "Aleena, can you make the bottle come to you again?"

The little girl nodded, focusing her eyes onto the object in determination. She reached out her hands, grasping at the air again. Dwight watched, fascinated by what occurred. The bottle shook on the table, edging little-by-little off of the wooden surface. It bobbed and swayed in the air as if attached to an unsteady string, moving its way in slow fashion towards Aleena. But then the bottle suddenly fell to the ground as if the string had snapped, bouncing and rolling away from the two sitting down. Aleena dropped her hands with a deep frown on her face, clear disappointment written on her expression.

"It fell," she stated to Dwight, pointing at the bottle as if asking him why it did that.

"Yes, I see that," Dwight nodded, reaching down to pick the bottle up from the floor. He stared at it for a second before placing it back on the table. "Aleena . . . have you done this before?"

"No," Aleena answer, shaking her head. Dwight nodded slowly, staring at his daughter, studying her.

"Good," he said, trying to sound firm. He reached forward, taking her tiny hand and holding it in comfort. "Aleena . . . you may not understand this now, but I need you not to do that again. All right? Can you do that for daddy?"

Aleena scrunched her face in a pout. "Why?"

Dwight shifted on his seat, trying to think of a reason the child would understand. He knew that Aleena understood things much more clearly than what other children would. She seemed to comprehend almost everything Lia and him said with ease, taking in stride their words and meanings. He did not ever have to dumb down his words like Lia and others always did themselves or wanted him to, always saying how a baby would not realize what he was saying anyway. But would Aleena understand that it was dangerous for others to see her possessing . . . powers? Would she realize what others would think of and how frightened people could become if they saw her doing such things like making bottles float to her?

"Well," Dwight began to explain to the child, "you see . . . mommy and others might be scared if they see you doing that."

"Why?" Aleena questioned again, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Because . . . normally . . . people can't do those sorts of things," Dwight said carefully, hoping to convey his warning to the child the best way he could.

"Why?"

"Well . . . they just can't." Dwight folded his hands together, trying to think on what to say. "You see, you're special. You can do things that normal children could never do. And since you are different, people tend to see this as a bad thing. Most people don't like others who are different."

Aleena furrowed her brows, seeming confused by this. "Different bad?"

Dwight gave a slow nod. "To others, yes, being different is bad." He stared up at the ceiling in thought briefly, gathering his words before looking at the child again. "That's why you can't show others your special abilities. You have to keep yourself . . . hidden."

"I hide?" Aleena looked conflicted by this, seeming uncertain by her daddy's words.

"Yes. You hide away and stay safe. Don't ever let others see what you can do."

Staring down at her hands, Aleena wiggling her fingers in thought. Her face furrowed in deep thinking as she seemed to take in what her daddy was saying. Then she looked up to Dwight once more, seeming to wonder about something in particular. "Different with daddy?"

Dwight hummed, trying to think on what Aleena was saying. "You can be different around me, yes. I understand your . . . gifts. But mommy and others won't. Don't ever show them what you can do."

"Okay, daddy," Aleena replied, nodding her head, seeming to get what he was saying. Dwight only hoped that his warning stuck with her and that he did not have to worry about future incidents. But for now on, he knew he must keep a better eye on her. Best not let anyone else ever see what Aleena could do. He only prayed that this would be the last surprise Aleena ever threw at him.

XxXxXxXx

Aleena knew that Dwight and Lia were not her real parents. She knew the moment she saw Dwight holding her in his arms when she first arrived outside their home. Why she knew or how she remembered that, she did not know. She just . . . knew. It was hard to really explain or even think about. It was just how her mind worked. It jumped around and thought ahead on certain things. While on other subjects, she realized she simply could not understand. Such as why her daddy wanted her to act 'normal' and told her that different was a bad thing. Why was different bad? She would have assumed the key to living an exciting life, and being a part of society, would be people having unique qualities to make the world have a great diversity. But whatever, grown-ups were weird sometimes.

Yes, Aleena knew they were not her real parents, but it still did not mean they were not her caretakers. They were her parents, just not her 'parents.' She liked to think of Dwight and Lia as her second parents, and the other ones she did not know were her first ones. She loved Dwight and Lia and respected them. They took the time to raise her when others would not have. This was especially true from the way that Angie woman constantly said to Aleena's parents. For this, Aleena knew she would be eternally grateful for. She just sometimes wished she knew who had been her other parents. 'Parents by blood' is the term Angie liked to use. Angie also liked to say 'tramps' sometimes, too. Aleena was not sure exactly what a 'tramp' was, but from the way her daddy seemed to get whenever the elderly woman mentioned it she knew it must not be a good term. So, Aleena did not like it either. Her first parents must be something better than that.

And yes, Aleena did remember almost everything that happened in her life. She knew exactly how long she has been alive (two years, seven months, sixty-five days), what year it was (1972), and where on Earth she was (Rachel, NV, United States of America, North America, Northern Hemisphere). Why did she know all of this? Beats her. It was just her mind storing away knowledge, really. It was more like she gathered the information from others without realizing it. Like . . . without even thinking about it, she had heard what others around her talked about and then it had been stored into her brain. Like a filing system of some kind. Not only this, but she also felt very aware of things around her. Time itself seemed to constantly be in check in her subconscious. The world, spinning below her feet and through space itself. It made her wonder if other children or grown-ups felt the same way in the world. Probably not.

But Aleena still felt this strange thirst for knowledge. Even though she knew more than she should for her age (at least from she heard others say about her), she still craved to know more about the world. Everything was still a mystery to her, and she wanted to understand as much and as quick as possible.

Currently, Aleena stood by her mommy's knee, tugging on her dress. Aleena wanted to get her mommy to take down the large book from the high shelf in her daddy's study room. Something about the book made Aleena just want to look over it again and again.

"Mommy? Mommy?" Aleena called to Lia.

"Not now, sweetheart. Mommy is busy," Lia replied, giving a side glance at her daughter before turning back to speak with one of the other women from book club. The group of women sat around the living room, chatting away about gossip of the town or something. Aleena really did not care what exactly they were talking about, for it all sounded useless. It all seemed rather boring to her on the way grown-ups only wish to talk about meaningless things. Stupid grown-ups.

Aleena huffed, walking away from the women as they all laughed about a man getting caught with his pants down with another woman. Was that really something they needed to focus on? Aleena knew sometimes she had trouble keeping her pants up as well as they were rather large on her. Surely even adults can have trouble with pants, too. And from the sounds of it, that other woman with the man was only trying to help him get the clothing item back up when her husband came home.

Aleena gave the women in the living room a glance as she reached the door to her daddy's study. None of them was paying any attention to her, so she just shrugged her shoulders and walked through the slightly open door. Inside the room, she stared around at the many bookshelves that lined the walls, all the brown boxes with stuff piled into them, and the desk that had some many neat looking objects from her daddy's job. Walking over to the largest bookshelf in the room, Aleena stared up at the big book pushed back on the top shelf. Sure, she could grab any other book in the room, but she wanted that book more than the rest.

Glancing around, Aleena made certain that her mommy and none of the other ladies were around. She knew her daddy would be upset if anyone else besides him saw her different abilities. She had not made anything else float around since that one day with the bottle. In fact, on that day, she had only really done that because she had been really thirsty at the moment. Really, if anything, she did not truly need to bother making things move to her since all she had to do was cry and her mommy or daddy would get something for her. But of course, lately, crying to get something was not as effective as it had been during her early days. Apparently, when one reached a certain age, grown-ups were not really fond of the crying anymore. At least, that is how it seemed from the way her mommy acted. Daddy did not seem to mind getting things for Aleena when she wanted them, but mommy would complain and grow irritated. So Aleena had stopped crying and decided to just get what she wanted for herself.

Like now, for instance.

Making double sure that no one was around; Aleena focused her eyes on the book, beginning her concentration. It was a struggle. The book was rather large and seemed too stubborn to be moved from its particular spot. But eventually, as small beads of sweat formed on Aleena's forehead, the book wiggled and shuffled across the top of the shelf, falling to the floor with a thunk. Wiping away the sweat from her brow, Aleena smiled proudly as she walked over to the book.

She sat down in front of the book, pulling it closer to her the best she could. It was a rather heavy book for a two-year-old, so she grunted as she brought it close. Flipping the book open to the middle, she stared at the pages with blank eyes as she realized something. She had no idea how to read. Huffing in frustration, Aleena crossed her arms and pouted as she glared at the book. She felt so stupid. She should be able to read already like all the other adults could, not be lost to what all the scribbled words were on the pages. Furrowing her brows, she wondered if there was a way for her to teach herself on how to read.

She spotted another large, red book in the corner, leaning against her daddy's desk. Her mind lit up as she remembered her daddy always using this book to find words to use in his writing reports that he likes to do for work. Perfect. Maybe this book could help her as well. Scooting over, she pulled the red book over and flipped it open, seeing right away the infinite list of words within. The book seemed to explain exactly what each word meant and how to say the words properly. She already knew all her ABCs and what sounds they make from that _Sesame Street_ show on the television her parents had recently bought. So learning to read should be easy enough.

Well . . . it was not as easy at first as Aleena assumed it should be. But eventually, after pouncing each word as carefully as she could out loud from what the red book directed her to, she felt as though she had the hang of things. Now, it was just to put it to the test by reading the other large book. She decided to flip to the beginning of the book and start from there. She believed it was best for her to go in order of how the book was printed. Scooting down to lay on her stomach, Aleena kicked her legs lightly in the air as she began to scan over the many pages before her.

About an hour later, outside of the home, as night began to settle, Dwight pulled up into the driveway in his truck. Tugging his messenger bag onto his shoulder, he stepped out of the vehicle and made his way into the house. The first thing that hit him was laughter from the group of women sitting inside of his home. Blinking in surprise, he looked at his wife in question as to why exactly there were so many women within the home.

"I thought you'd be at Angie's for book night," Dwight commented to Lia. He smiled and nodded in welcome to the ladies as they all greeted him politely.

"Oh, Angie wasn't feeling too well this evening, so we decided to have book night here," Lia explained, still having somewhat of a chuckle within her voice.

"And I do think we should have it here more often," one woman of the group said. "It's much homier here than at Angie's. And, no offence of course, but it's much more entertaining to be able to let loose and not just stick to discussing our books."

"Let's hope she gets sick more often," another woman said. The group all giggled as though the statement was scandalous. Lia shushed them to be quiet, though was somewhat laughing as well.

"Now, don't be too hard on old Angie. She means well enough," Lia told the group of ladies. They all sort of muttered in agreement, though Dwight felt as if they only agreed as an act of politeness.

"Well, I'm always happy to welcome guests into the home," Dwight said, nodding to the ladies with a kind smile. He then frowned when realizing he was not seeing one particular child in the room. "Honey, where's Aleena?"

"She should be back in her room playing with her toys," Lia commented, absently waving her hand towards the hallway.

Dwight nodded and went towards the back room, letting the women continue on with their gossip and laughter. He went to go into Aleena's bedroom that was next to their own, but passing by his study, he noticed the room slightly ajar. Peeking around the corner, he chuckled under his breath as he saw Aleena laying on her stomach and kicking her feet out with his volume of American history setting in front of her. She seemed to be trying to read the text, which Dwight had to admit was rather adorable how much she tried to be and act like an adult at times. She wanted to grow up so fast.

"What do you have there, sweetheart?" Dwight asked his daughter, coming into the room and setting his bag next to his desk. Aleena sat up as fast as she could, beaming brightly at her daddy.

"Reading!" she exclaimed in merriment.

"Reading," Dwight nodded in approval, smiling at her as he sat down at the desk. "And what exactly have you been reading?"

Aleena pulled the book around the best she could so her daddy could look at it with her on the ground. "About guys, who got angry and threw tea into a river."

"Oh?" Dwight blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly. Did she . . . did she just talk about the Boston Tea Party? Had she actually read the book?

"Yeah. They—they were mad 'cause of, um, these other guys who bullied them over ta—taxes." Aleena pointed at the pictures illustrating the colonists throwing the tea chests into the Boston Harbor. She then flipped the pages more towards the beginning of the volume, pointing at another picture showing an explorer meeting Native Americans during the early 16th century. "And—and the other guys, when they, um, they were mean to the Indians when they got the big boats here." She frowned, feeling at a loss by this piece of information being stated and explained. She looked up at Dwight in question. "Why would they be mean to the Indians, daddy?"

Dwight was at a loss for words. He could only stare at Aleena in amazement as she gazed back in expectancy for an answer for human cruelty. Clearing his throat abruptly, Dwight shifted in his seat as he wished to explain this the best he could. "Um, well . . . through the history of our planet, people tend to be cruel to others who they don't understand or find different from themselves."

". . . Different like me?"

Staring at the large, brown eyes of his daughter, seeing the uncertainty within her irises, Dwight felt a tight lump in his throat. He did not wish to admit it, but he knew what people have done to others in the past could happen to Aleena as well. Humans were cruel and vicious to others of their own kind. Another species all together would be no different in falling right into the same path of hatred and brutality.

"Yeah," Dwight whispered gravely. "Different like you." Aleena looked back down at the images before her, still feeling confused as to why anyone could possibly be so hateful to others. And simply because of there being differences in the world. But at the same time, and for the first moment in her life, Aleena felt almost scared of the world.

"That's why I can't be different, right daddy?" Aleena finally replied, staring back up at Dwight as she grew to understand why he had warned her about her 'gifts' in the beginning.

"You can be different. Just . . . don't let others see your differences, okay?" Dwight responded. Smiling to comfort the child, Dwight patted Aleena gently on the head in reassurance. "Sweetheart, there really is nothing wrong with being different. It's just, well, others tend to be frightened of things they don't really understand. At first, at least. Through time and patience, people do open up and realize that there's nothing to be afraid of."

Aleena nodded, understanding how her daddy was trying to comfort her and keep her from becoming afraid of others. Still . . . she saw a growing pattern within the book in front of her. Even though she was only in the beginning parts of the pages, it seemed as though repeatedly people treated others poorly, a theme of cruelty throughout history. Would she really be treated any different in this world if others realized what her abilities were?

"Aleena . . . can you really read that book?" Dwight suddenly asked his daughter, eyeing her with a careful gaze. The little girl looked back up at Dwight, nodding her head. The man hummed, trying to wrap his mind around the amazing occurrence of an almost three-year-old child knowing how to read without any help. And such advanced reading as well. "Have you always known how to read?"

"No. I learned," Aleena said, pointing at the red books still lying on the ground just to the side of her. Reaching over, Dwight picked up his old dictionary from the ground. He stared at it, feeling greatly proud of his daughter.

"You taught yourself how to read from a dictionary," he commented. He saw Aleena nodding in the corner of his eye. Directing his gaze back onto her, he gave her a warm smile. "Very good, sweetheart. I'm very proud of you." He reached forward, rubbing an affectionate hand on top of her head. Aleena beamed, delighted that she made her daddy feel proud of her. Dwight leaned back on his chair, nodding down at the history book still lying in between them. "So, do you like the history book?" His daughter nodded in a slight indication.

"Um . . . if people are mean . . ." Aleena frowned looking back and forth between her daddy and the book, hoping for Dwight to clear away her confusion as to why the world acted in such a way. She pointed at another picture in the book that illustrated harsh cruelty inflicted onto others. "Can you change them? Make people nice?"

Dwight leaned back in his chair, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he stared up at the ceiling in thought. "I would like to change people, make things better for the world." He sat up straight again in the chair, keeping a steady eye on Aleena. "But not by changing history. I believe history must be left alone as it is. It's not something anyone should ever try to shape for themselves."

Aleena frowned, furrowing her brows as she tried to understand what he was trying to explain to her. "How do people make things nice if can't fix the past?"

"To make the future better." Dwight nodded at the history volume. "That's why I have that book in the first place, to remind myself of the past. History tends to repeat itself. So, if we learn from the past, we can try to make sure our mistakes won't happen again for the future."

"We learn from mistakes?"

Dwight nodded in a slight gentle way. "Yes, we learn from our mistakes. And we all must make sure not to cause the same fault or harm as before."

Aleena stared down thoughtfully at the pages, thumbing the edges of them and feeling the rough texture. "Does everyone learn from mistakes?"

"Not always. Most tend to forget our past mistakes, only focusing on their way into the future. And this is how history ends up repeating itself."

Giving Dwight a disappointed frown, Aleena huffed and felt at a loss of what exactly was the right answer for living through this strange world if no one wished to learn and make a better future. Was that not the point of living in the first place? Make a better life and world?

"Then . . . will people still hate me, too? 'Cause I'm different?" Aleena asked. Dwight sighed, giving his daughter an apologetic look, knowing he could never make everything perfectly safe and fine for her.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid there will always be people who have hate within them," he told her, holding a forlorn expression. When seeing the sad face of Aleena, Dwight hurriedly cleared his throat and patted her shoulder in reassurance. "But don't worry, sweetheart. Not everyone is like that. There are many people out there who want to shed away hatred and live happily with all."

Aleena's face perked up at the note, smiling as she felt relief in hearing that. "Like you, daddy?"

Dwight gave a bright smile. "Like me."

Both turned their heads towards the study room door when they heard Lia calling for Dwight from the living room. Getting up from his desk chair, Dwight told Aleena he would be right back to help her put the books away. Aleena watched him go around the corner of the door and disappear down the hall. She held a puzzled expression on her face as she stared back down at the history book in front of her, staring at the pictures on the pages with a studying gaze.

"History repeats hate," she mumbled under her breath as she thumbed at the page. Giving an exasperated sigh, Aleena lifted the cover of the book and flipped it shut.

XxXxXxXx

I know not much is going on just yet in the story, but gotta see how our little Aleena grows up and all. ;) I hope you all enjoyed it so far! Let me know in a review if you can. I would love to know what you all think of the story. :D

Reviewers:

 **ChickenPotPie** : Glad you're liking it so far! Hope that you'll continue to enjoy it throughout the rest to come. :) It just brings me so much joy that you've loved the series so far. I know I can't wait for the future to come. :)

 **mjahappy** : Yay! Glad you like. :)

 **All The Stories Are True 24601** : Oh? Torchwood you say? ;) Glad you're liking it so far! Hope you'll like the rest to come. :)

 **Aliza Shepard** : For the most part, yes. With a few original adventures and adventures from other series of the universe thrown in here and there. Hope that you'll like it all! Keeping my fingers crossed that you will. :) Take care until next time!

 **Wicken25** : Well . . . our Wanda is gone. As for Aleena, there's still much to see with her adventures. I hope you'll like them!

 **normandy1701** : Happy New Year! :) Don't worry everything will be revealed in time. Hope you'll enjoy the story! And yes, I'm not over Wanda, either. :(

 **swimmjacket** : So close, yet so far. If only they knew back then. :( But glad you're interested in the story so far. :) Not certain if I'll be doing the Thirteenth Doctor just yet, but we'll have plenty of time with the Twelfth Doctor. I hope that the story will be good. Nervous as usual when it comes to new stories. Until next time!

 **Deightfully Tacky** : Hello! I'm so glad to have you here in the new story. I really hope that you'll like it. :) No real reason for her last name being Tate. Just thought it sounded nice with her first name haha. Can't wait to see what you think of the rest of the story to come! Until next time. :)

 **Authora97** : I know I feel confliction as well. But I hope in the end, you'll enjoy the story. Keeping my fingers crossed that this chapter was a good read. :) See you again in the future!

 **Momochan77** : Yay! Glad you liked it so far. Hope this chapter was just as good and to see you again for the rest to come. :)

 **NightHunterDeath** : Yes she did. And now she's living in another life without them. At least we know she's being well taken care of. Again, we'll just have to wait and see what Jack meant during that moment. Things will be explained, I promise. :) There will be some more chapters to come with her childhood. A way to see how she grows and such. I hope that's okay. If not, then don't worry it won't be too many chapters. I hope that you'll enjoy it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The best advice I could give is to plan out your stories beforehand. Have most of them written up and done before actually posting to the site itself. I had both part one and two of the trilogy and half of part three done before I finally was confident enough with how it was turning out to post. It helps to have it all written out beforehand so that way you can go back and make certain things are staying in continuity. I hope this helps you. :)

 **bored411** : Can't wait for you to read what's to come. :)

 **LittleDreamerinaTale** : I really hope that you'll like the more to come. I'm excited to see what you think of it! :)

 **wonderbitch26** : Honestly, I can't believe it as well. But here we are and I just can't wait for more to come, seeing what you and all other readers think of it. :) Can't wait to see what you think of it. As for ship, um, well, there's no Wanda, and Aleena is a child. So . . . not much romance going on in this story. Mostly just adventures and such. Hope that's okay.

 **Readsthings** : That would be nice, but unfortunately no. Amy and Rory don't know Aleena until, well, later. As we saw in the last part of the series. Hope that you enjoyed chapter 2. :)

That's all for now! Can't wait to see what you all think of this chapter. :)

~Tinker~


	3. Ch 3: An Unusual Childhood

Surpise!

Thought I'd surpise you all with a quick chapter update. :) Hope you all enjoy!

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 3: An Unusual Childhood

In the back of her mind, even without realizing it, Aleena never truly believed her father that people could hold such hate for others. She even felt sceptical of all the history books her father let her read; speaking of human cruelty through time just seemed too overwhelming to wrap her mind around the reality. Really, why would that be even necessary for people to fight against each other when it was obvious how better society could work if everyone simply got along? Well, her scepticism and disbelief were finally resolved when she eventually reached the age of five and she received her first taste of a person's disgust for those who are not the same.

Aleena stood on the couch within the living room of her home, bouncing a little on the cushions as she stared out the window behind the furniture. She stared in fascination outside to the wide-open landscape, gazing up towards the bright, blue sky of summer and pure white clouds of the desert. However, the blue sky and clouds were not all that held Aleena's current attention. No, she was watching the stars and the strings of the world. She smiled as one star passed by the window, hovering in front of her face as it bobbed and weaved around, almost as though showing off to her how fluidly it could move through the air.

The stars and strings were something of which Aleena has been able to see since arriving outside her parents' home as a baby. They were things that travelled and flew through the sky, always so carefree. The stars were different from the strings. The strings had sort of an appearance of that of spider webbing and were attached firm to each person of which they belonged to. Never leaving their person for even a second. Aleena did not realize it at first, but she understood now that these strings were a person's life. Their entire lives were written out on these strings like a story of sorts, from birth to death, and each was bright and colourful in their own unique way. She had yet seen two people have the same colour.

But the stars were truly the most interesting to Aleena. They were also a variety of colours which made each one unique. They would pulse in their light, like a heartbeat almost. And when they would draw closer to Aleena, she could see that each of these stars were people who had passed on. People who no longer lived on the same plane of existence as everyone else in the world, the universe. The stars would always be so happy in knowing Aleena could see them. They would introduce themselves in such happiness and delight, for they truly only ever wanted others of the living to be able to see them and follow them for guidance. And the way each star communicated was very interesting. Some could only show their memories in sort of clear imagery on their cloudy surfaces. Others were actually able to speak one or two words, where rarely few managed to speak whole sentences on their own. Over time, Aleena began to notice that the older the star was, the easier of a time they had communicating to her. She wondered if the powers they had sort of came with time and experience in living in their mysterious world.

"Aleena, dear, could you please not stand on the couch," her mother called out to her from the kitchen.

"Yes, mommy!" Aleena replied, bouncing down to sit properly on the couch. She kicked her legs over the edge of the seat, staring up to where a few stars lazily floated around within the house itself, smiling as she saw the stars showing images to each other as they seemed to be discussing different topics. She was not sure exactly what they were talking about. She thought it might have something to do with the town of Rachel itself.

A sharp knock came from the front door of the house. Aleena hopped down from the couch, going over to the door. Reaching up the best she could, she turned the handle and opened the door. On the other side of the doorway, she saw the elderly woman Angie. The woman sniffed, holding her rather large purse tight in her grasp while staring down with disinterest at Aleena.

"Where's Lia?" Angie asked curtly with impatience. Aleena stepped back and pointed to the kitchen. Angie did not even acknowledge the child as she stepped around and went to the kitchen. Aleena sighed, shutting the door and going back over to the couch. She never did like that woman. Angie was just so grumpy and never wanted to play like the other grown-ups did.

"I'm not fond of last-minute calls, Lia," Aleena heard Angie saying sternly from the kitchen. "And I'm not fond of having some child thrown at me for watching over. I'd much rather spend my time knitting than babysit _that_ child."

"Angie, I'm so sorry about this, but I have to go with Betty to the city," Lia said as she walked into the living room. "We ran out of supplies for the house and no one else was available to watch Aleena."

"Well, you best not take too long then. I am not a patient woman," Angie said snidely, huffing as she walked out of the kitchen with Lia and sat down in Dwight's reading chair. The elderly woman pulled out her knitting from the large purse she sat on the ground. Fiddling with the needles for a moment within the light blue yarn, Angie began working on creating the small blanket that was half-way completed. Aleena looked over as Lia came out of the kitchen, holding her own smaller purse in hand.

"Are you leaving, mommy?" Aleena asked curiously, kicking her legs in the air lightly as she sat on the couch.

"Just for a bit, sweetheart," Lia replied, seeming apologetic for leaving Aleena behind. Smiling kindly, Lia walked over, patting Aleena's shoulder in a warm gesture. "I'll be back in a little while. Be good, and don't cause any trouble for Angie. Understand?"

"Yes, mommy," Aleena mumbled, nodding her head as she stared at her feet. Seeming satisfied with this response, Lia eventually walked out of the house. Aleena listened, hearing the car arriving outside the home and picking up her mommy, going off to the city for the day.

Once the last distance sound of the car retreated, there was only an awkward silence left behind. A clock somewhere within the house ticked in a gentle rhythm. Aleena kicked her feet back and forth from the couch as she continued to stare at them. Eventually, she glanced up towards Angie to see the elderly woman was still working on her knitting. Not paying Aleena herself the slightest bit of attention. The child glanced around as if double-checking her and Angie were truly the only ones in the house. Sadly, they were. Sighing, Aleena hopped from the couch, heading towards her room to quietly read until her mother came back.

"And where do you think you're going?" Angie suddenly barked out as Aleena made her way towards the back of the house. Aleena halted in her steps, looking back at the older woman in question.

"My room," Aleena replied back politely as possible, not wishing to give Angie a reason to be angry with her. "I want to read my books."

"No, I don't think so," Angie disagreed crossly, shaking her head. "You need to make yourself useful for once and actual help Lia and Dwight around the house. Start with the dishes in the kitchen." The elderly woman jabbed her finger towards the direction of where Lia would have left the dishes unattended in the kitchen sink.

Aleena frowned, confused by the elderly woman's demands. She was not _useful_? What was that supposed to mean? And how was she supposed to do the dishes anyway? Her mom and dad never let her do chores like that on her own. Sure, she helped dry the dishes as her parents washed them. However, they never let her wash the dishes herself for not only was the sink too high for her, but the soap used to clean the dishes they said would not be good for her young skin. In fact, Lia had always used gloves when doing the dishes. Aleena very much doubted that those gloves could ever fit her small hands.

"But I can't reach the sink, and daddy always said—," Aleena began to explain to Angie, thinking maybe the woman did not know about the soap. She even thought maybe she could offer to do something else around the house since Angie seemed to want her to do something besides reading books.

"Are you talking back to me?" Angie spat out crossly, looking very much annoyed now.

Aleena blinked, taken back and confused. Did she say something wrong? "No. But—."

"I told you to go do something. There are no 'buts' about it. Do as you're told and keep your thoughts to yourself. And I don't want to hear another word out of you. Children should be seen. Not heard."

This only made Aleena feel even more confused now. What would be the point of just being seen and never heard from? How could a grown-up tell if a child was sick or sad if they never said anything? What a strange woman this was. But Aleena did not feel like getting scolded anymore by her. Instead, she let out a sigh and made her way into the kitchen. Lia did say to be good and not cause trouble. Maybe this was part of that deal of Angie being here? Aleena figured she could handle that, doing chores around the house. It was not like she never helped out before. It was always fun figuring out how to do things on her own, such as getting dressed, making her own food, and other such things. Maybe it was time for her to wash her own dishes.

It took her only a moment for her to figure out how to get herself up to the sink. Simple use of the chair helped with the whole 'height' thing. Soon, she stood right at the sink and stared at the dishes sitting in the warm water. A sponge sat on the counter, so Aleena grabbed it and held it in hand. The soap was already mixed in the water, so she just had to scrub them and rise them off on the other side. Yep, simple enough for her. Why did Lia and Dwight never let her do this again?

After a while of her hands touching the water, she realized why they never let her do this. It did not bother her at first. The strange tingling feeling did not trouble her much as she did not think about it. She thought maybe it was just the soap from the water. Then the tingling soon turned into burning after she finished her tenth dish. Aleena made a hissing sound from the pain, setting down the clean dish to look at her hands. They were slowly turning red. Alarmed, she hurriedly turned on the water from the tap, scrubbing at her hands under the water to wash off whatever as on them. But it only made her hands hurt even more. Tears ran down her face and she jumped from her chair, running into the living room.

"Angie! My hands!" Aleena cried, trying to show the older woman her hands. The woman glanced up from her knitting and made a sniffing noise.

"What about them?" she asked crossly. Aleena felt flabbergasted, looking back at them and then at her. What sort of question was that? Could the woman not see what was happening to her hands?

"They're turning red," Aleena stated the obvious, hoping this might help the woman understand what was wrong.

"So?" Angie said snippily.

"They hurt," Aleena said to clarify.

"A little hard labor won't kill you. When I did chores in my day, I never complained about a little pain here and there. Get back to the dishes."

Dumbfounded, Aleena could only stare at her. She felt at a loss. What could she say to get the woman to understand her pain? "The soap is bad. Mommy and daddy always said they needed gloves. Do you have gloves that fit me?"

"You don't need gloves. A little pain will do you some good. Teach you to be grateful for what was given to you. Think Lia or Dwight wanted an extra mouth to feed around here? No. So make yourself useful to them for once in your life." Angie went back to knitting, seeming to think their conversation was now over.

Aleena could only stare at her, still not knowing what to do. She could not go back to finish the dishes as the soap in the water would only make her hands worse. She also needed to get her hands to stop hurting, too. But she had no idea what to do. She had hoped the only grown-up in the house would know, but . . . Why was Angie not wanting to help her? Had she done something wrong?

"Please, they hurt," Aleena whispered in a plea, hoping Angie would understand how much pain she was in.

"Good. They should," Angie snapped, glaring at Aleena now. "Maybe it'll teach you a little humility. Something your own lowlife parents obviously never learned themselves. Maybe if they went through a little pain here and there they would have been responsible enough to raise their own child. Not dump their burden onto others."

"I'm a burden?" Aleena mumbled as tears came to her eyes. Was that what Lia and Dwight thought of her? Was that what the other grown-ups thought, too? Was that why her other parents left her behind?

"Of course," Angie said as though this should be clear. "You'll always be a burden so long as you take food, shelter, and other things Lia and Dwight have earned themselves. Those things should be for them. _Not_ for you. Now, get out of my sight. I'm done talking."

While Angie went back to knitting, Aleena slowly turned back to the kitchen. She did not know how to feel about all of what the woman had said. Was any of it true? She did not feel so. Dwight and Lia were always kind. They always said how much they loved her. How could they feel that way? But grown-ups were always strange. Maybe they did feel like that?

The string attached to Angie caught Aleena's eye before she went back into the kitchen. It was a dull colour. Duller than any colour Aleena had ever seen before. The string also looked . . . kind of old. The end of it was all torn up. Wait . . . end? There had never been an end before. But there it was. The string attached to her was short with a frayed end of it floating weakly around. It was getting very close to the woman. Like it was almost done reeling in. The woman gave a hard cough, patting at her chest. The string moved closer into her.

Aleena tilted her head, focusing her gaze solely on the string. Vision around her eyes blurred and the string came more and more into focus. Suddenly, Aleena felt herself jerk as little as though something tugged at her and she found herself in a house she had never been in before. Blinking, she looked around, worried about what had happened. How did she get into this house? It was strange, though, this place. Everything was so neat and clean. Weirdly clean. Nothing like Lia and Dwight's home. Frowning a little, Aleena stepped around the sickly yellow couch and looked for where she might be. She noticed it was dark outside the windows. It must be night time. But was the sun not up just a little while ago?

Coughing coming from down the hall made Aleena tense. But she moved forward, looking for who might be there. Maybe they could help her get back to her own home? A light was seen coming from a room just down the hall. When Aleena came up to the small room, she saw it was a bathroom. Then, the next thing she saw was Angie. Aleena tensed, afraid of what the woman would do if she saw a child suddenly there in her home. But Angie gave no notice, not even when a gasp had escaped from Aleena the moment she saw the woman standing there in the room. Soon, the girl relaxed, taking in the nightgown Angie wore and how she brushed her hair while staring into the mirror in the room. Strangely, Aleena had a feeling that the woman was completely unaware that she was here.

As Aleena stared at Angie, a new feeling came over her. Sadness. Such deep sadness. Aleena felt so, so sad. Lonely, too. But those were not her own feels, were they? No, she herself felt fine. Well, maybe a little sad from what the woman had said before. But this was different. This was not the same kind of sadness she felt. Why was she feeling this way though? Then, the girl's gaze moved from Angie to the stars that hovered around the woman. Aleena blinked, seeing the two stars slowly turning around the older woman. They moved so slow. Much slower than any star she had ever seen. Like they were sad. Was this why she was feeling sad and lonely? No, that did not feel right, either. It was more like . . . Angie felt this way. Aleena did not know how she knew this. She just did.

Aleena watched the stars and slowly put together what they were. Or rather who they had been at one point. They were Angie's husband and son. Both had come to be with her. Each of them trying to tell her something. The husband star seemed to be trying to soothe Angie, to help her not feel so lonely by showing all their happy moments in memory flashes. The son star had a much more urgent reason for being there. The star kept showing certain memories over and over again. When Aleena got closer, she could see the memories were very sad. Memories of the past when Angie had disowned the son for loving a woman she did not approve of. Something which had broken her son's heart of losing connections with his mother. But he wanted Angie to know that he forgave her for that. Because he understood how guilty she felt after he had died in the war.

Aleena tensed as Angie began to cough even louder. The woman leaned forward, gripping at her chest as though in pain. The brush dropped from her hands, falling to the floor. But Angie gave no notice as she turned to leave the room. The young girl feared for a moment that Angie would finally notice her. But it seemed as though Angie did not see her at all, staring right through Aleena. The girl watched as the woman grunted in pain, breathing heavily. Then, the next moment she let out a gasp and fell to the floor in a heap. Her whole body twitched as though going through such agony. Aleena's hearts raced as she felt wave after wave of fear. Of pure terror. It was Angie's terror. The absolute horror as the woman did not understand what was happening and from the pain she felt in her chest. Then, the woman stopped moving altogether. Lying completely still and unmoving. And Aleena knew. She knew that Angie . . . was dead.

"Girl!"

Aleena jumped, startled from the sudden call as she blinked. Her vision slowly came back as white spots danced around her eyes. She noticed how she was now standing in her own home once more. Sunlight streamed through the windows. She was halfway between the living room and the kitchen. Her hearts racing as fear still pumped through her body. Angie sat there in the chair, glaring at her in annoyance. Had she just been standing there staring at Angie?

"I told you—," Angie began to scold the girl.

"You're going to die," Aleena blurted out, eyes staring wide at the woman. Immediately Angie looked taken back and stared at the girl in shock.

"What?" the woman replied in disbelief.

"You're going to die in two days," Aleena said, more urgent this time. She wanted to warn the woman. To warn her from the death that was going to happen in hopes that it would not come. "You're going to have a heart attack." Aleena was not quite certain how exactly she knew this information. She just did.

"How _dare_ you," Angie growled. She threw down her knitting and got up from the chair to storm over to Aleena. "I'll teach you some manners."

Aleena backed away as the woman raised her hand. "Your son wants you to know he forgives you!"

This made Angie freeze on the spot. The colour drained from the woman's face. "Wh—what did you say?"

"He forgives you. He isn't mad at you. He wants you to know that he loves you still." Aleena glanced over the woman's shoulders, seeing the two stars there.

Angie shook for a moment, looking at the crossroads to either cry or scream. Apparently, she decided on the latter as her face contorted into rage. "Don't you dare talk about my son! You know nothing, you little tramp!"

Aleena let out a startled cry as she was yanked forward hard by the arm and given a sharp smack across the face. When the woman went to hit her again, Aleena closed her eyes in fear. She was suddenly let go as she heard Angie hiss in pain. But the girl did not bother to look at what happened. Instead, she ran away, going straight to her room. The door to the bedroom flew open before Aleena even reached it and slammed shut right behind her. Later she would learn that she had done that without thinking. But at the moment, all she could do was cry as she hid under the bed in fear.

Aleena shook all over, covering her head with her hands. Her hearts raced. Her breathing would not slow down. Cold sweat covered her body. All she could do was lay there under the bed and shiver from head to toe. She waited and waited in fear of Angie coming in to get her. But the woman never entered the room. After Aleena's hearts slowed down and her breathing became normal again, she heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside. She hoped it was Lia or Dwight. At this point, she hoped it was anyone. She just wanted someone there to hug her and make everything feel better.

"Well, about time one of you showed up. Aren't you home from work a bit early, Dwight?" Aleena heard the muffled voice of Angie out in the living room. She then heard the front door of the house shutting as clearly Dwight had just entered the house.

"I had a short shift," Aleena heard Dwight replied. His voice sounded confused. "Where's Lia and Aleena?"

"Your wife went out for supplies. That child is in her room. She hid in there after she threatened me and then burned my hand."

"What?" Now Dwight sounded even more confused.

"See for yourself." There was a pause. "See? Burned my hand after she said I was going to die. What sort of child are you raising, Dwight? I would have expected better from Lia and you."

Dwight did not answer this. Instead, Aleena heard his footsteps coming down the hall. Her door opened carefully, with two pairs of feet coming into the room. Aleena felt fearful of coming out with Angie still there. But knowing that Dwight, her daddy, was there made her feel a little better.

"Aleena?" Dwight called gently. Aleena pulled herself out from under the bed, staring up at Dwight and Angie from the floor. Dwight did not look as angry as Aleena had expected. Instead, he just appeared concerned. "What happened, Aleena? Can you tell me?"

"I told you everything you need to know! The child is a savage," Angie barked crossly. Glancing at her, Aleena could see how she held her hand. The skin was as red as the girl's hands were. Dwight closed his eyes and took a breath to keep himself calm.

"Angie, let me handle this, please. Aleena is _my_ daughter. Not yours," Dwight spoke gruffly before going over to Aleena. He crouched down, rubbing a comforting hand on Aleena's small shoulder. "Hey, sweetie, did you—." He stopped abruptly when seeing the growing bruise on Aleena's face. Then he noticed the girl's hands. Immediately, his eyes flared up in anger. He stood up, turning sharply to Angie. "What did you do to her?"

"Me?" scoffed Angie, holding up her good hand to her chest.

"Her face is bruised and her hands have chemical burns on them. So, yes, _you_."

"What?" This time Angie seemed to be the one confused.

"Her face and hands, Angie. What did you do?" Dwight's voice grew strict as his anger built.

"Well, I smacked her after she threatened _my life_." Angie crossed her arms, looking set that she had done the right thing. "And her hands are fine. I just had her wash the dishes. A little bit of hot water on the skin is nothing—."

"You did what?! Angie, we use cleaning chemicals in the sink!" He turned and scooped up Aleena from the floor, quickly taking her out of the room. "If there wasn't enough water in the sink, it burns skin. That's why we always use gloves in case we don't mix them right."

"How was I supposed to know!" Angie followed after them, appearing more angry than worried about what had happened. "If you had the orphan do work around the house more often, I wouldn't have—."

Dwight stopped in his tracks, turning to glare at Angie. "Get out."

Angie halted in place, completely bewildered at this point. "What?"

"Get out! Get out of my house!"

Angie crossed her arms, glaring right back. "My ride isn't here yet. They took Lia to the city."

"I don't care. Wait outside. Just get out. You are not coming anywhere near my daughter again."

"Your damn daughter hurt me! Look at my hand!"

"Obviously, when you touched her skin, you got a chemical burn as well!"

"What about saying I was going to die?!"

"At this point, I don't give a damn! Now, GET OUT!"

Aleena sat on the kitchen table in a daze, listening to Angie huff and grab her things before storming out of the home. Dwight gathered up a bowl of cool water, dry bandages, and a tube of cream. He made Aleena place her hands into the water. Even though the water made her skin sting, she listened to her father and did as she was told. Soon, the pain went away and her hands felt better. After Dwight gentle dried off her hands, he placed some cream on her skin and wrapped them carefully with bandages.

"Feeling better?" he asked gently.

"Yes, daddy," whispered Aleena. She stared down, not knowing what to say or do now. She just felt tired and wanted to go to sleep.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he questioned, trying to think in how to help her feel better. He knew this day must have been absolutely horrible for her. He just hoped he could help her forget about it.

Aleena glanced at him, wondering what she should say. Finally, she decided to ask, "Am I a burden?"

Dwight looked startled, in disbelief. Then, he let out a sigh, knowing what else Angie must have done to his daughter. "Did Angie say that?" He watched as Aleena averted her eyes, nodded slightly. Another sigh left him. He then sat down in a chair and pulled his daughter down to sit in his lap, giving her a strong hug. "You are never a burden. Your mother and I love you very much. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"But Angie said—."

"Angie is just a very hateful person. Don't listen to people like that."

Aleena nodded, trying to keep that in mind. "Is it like you said? Is Angie like those people who don't like things different?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry you had to run into a person like that." Dwight stood up from the chair and picked up his daughter, going back into Aleena's room. He sat her down on her bed, helping her get under the covers. "Why don't you get some rest, sweetie. Need to let your hands heal."

The bright brown eyes of Aleena stared back at Dwight curiously. "Does sleeping help heal?"

"Oh, yes, sleeping does wonders to help a person heal."

Aleena nodded, believing him completely as she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. She felt like she had only gotten a few minutes asleep before she was awake again. Blinking dully, she wondered what had woken her when she heard the rather angry voices coming from down in the living room.

"You just threw a defenseless old woman out into the desert!" she heard the angry voice of Lia.

"Oh, stop being dramatic, Lia," came the scoff from Dwight. "I took her straight home after I put Aleena down."

"And for that matter why did you leave a child alone in the house?" retorted Lia, still wanting to be cross. "And did you even listen to what Angie had to say about what Aleena did?" This made Aleena wonder if Angie had called Lia from the phone once she had gotten home.

"Well, did Angie tell you what _she_ did?" Dwight countered, sounding just as mad. "She hit Aleena across the face and made her wash the dishes, leaving her with chemical burns all over her hands."

There was a bit of silence for a moment. "I'm certain she didn't realize . . . Let me see. I want to make sure she's okay." Aleena then heard footsteps coming down to her room. She blinked as the light was turned on in the room. She did not even notice that it was night now outside the window of her room.

"Hey, sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Lia asked as she and Dwight stepped into the room. Aleena sat up in bed, seeing how Lia smiled nicely at her.

"Okay," Aleena mumbled. Truthfully, she did. She felt much calmer now with her face and hands feeling much better. Dwight was right. Sleeping really did help. She watched as Lia crouched down in front of her, frowning as she looked Aleena over.

"Are you sure Angie hit her face? She looks fine," Lia said to Dwight behind her. He crossed his arms, frowning heavily as he too looked at Aleena. The girl stared back at him, seeing a bit of surprise in his expression as he gazed at her.

"Well, her face was red earlier. Clearly, Angie hit her," Dwight grumbled. Lia continued her inspection, unwrapping Aleena's hands. Immediately Dwight uncrossed his arms and stared at the child in disbelief. Her hands were completely healed. No sign of there ever being an injury at all. Not even a mark.

"You were right, daddy. Sleep did help!" Aleena said brightly, smiling as she felt happy to feel her hands fine again. She smiled at her parents for only a second before it slipped away as she saw Lia crossing her arms and looking back at Dwight angrily.

"Chemical burns? Really? Her hands are perfectly fine," the mother scoffed, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Her hands were completely red earlier. Perhaps they just weren't as bad as I had thought," Dwight countered evenly. Though he knew this was not true, he also could not explain why Aleena's hands were suddenly fine. Then again, he probably knew the reason _why_ her hands were better, but it was not as though he could share this with Lia. "That doesn't excuse for what Angie did. That woman is not allowed into our house again. Ever."

"Dwight, you're being—," Lia began to argue.

"Ever," Dwight replied. His voice had changed, sounding very hard and grounded. In return, Lia sighed and nodded.

"All right. It's not as if Angie will ever want to come back here anyway," she muttered. She turned to Aleena, almost ready to leave but had gone back to her daughter at the last moment. Smiling kindly, gently she petted Aleena's head. "Go back to sleep, dear. You need plenty of rest. Have to start getting ready for school soon."

"Yes, mommy," Aleena said quietly, watching as Lia got up and walked away. She scooted over as Dwight came over and sat beside her. She stared up at her father with her big brown eyes, seeing the way he stared back worried at her. "What's wrong, daddy?"

"Nothing," Dwight mumbled as he stared at Aleena's hands before glancing at her face. He then smiled in reassurance. "Looks like sleep really does do you good. But ah . . . keep that between just us, okay?"

"Why? Can you and mommy not do that? Is that another different thing I have?" Aleena asked him curiously.

"Yes, it seems that way. Normally it takes people much longer to heal from injuries like that," he explained. Again, he gave her a kind smile. "But that's really great that you can do that. Wish I could be different like you. Would have been great to heal up that quick in the past."

Aleena smiled lightly, knowing Dwight was trying to help her feel better about being so different from him and the others. Thinking over this, she wondered what else that she could do others could not. Were the stars and strings one of those things? She had always thought everyone could see them, too. But now . . . "Daddy, do you see the stars?"

"Of course. There's quite a few out tonight. Though, we always do get the best view of the stars out here than—."

"No, I mean . . ." Aleena sighed, not knowing how to explain it to him. How to describe something to some if they had never seen it before? "I see stars floating around all the time. Even during the day. I see strings connected to people, too. That's how I knew Angie is going to die."

For a moment, he could only stare at her. Then, finally, he spoke up. "What do you mean, sweetheart? What is it you're seeing? Can you explain it to me?"

"Umm . . ." Aleena tugged on the hem of her shirt, thinking of how to explain it. Would he even understand it? "Well . . . the stars are people who died. They like to tell stories and dance around everywhere. They really like that I can see them 'cause most people don't listen to them. They're always trying to talk to everyone about things. I don't really understand it much, but . . . I think it's like they're trying to help everyone with stuff. Then the strings are attached to everyone, even you, daddy. I've never been able to look at them before until tonight. Angie's was fraying and when I looked at it . . . I saw her dying. She was in her house and her heart had an attack. It was so scary. I felt her fear. I felt her dying." Aleena shivered, feeling her hearts speeding up in remembering it.

Swiftly Dwight pulled Aleena into a hug to help her keep calm. Her voice had wavered quite a bit while explaining what she had seen. He could only imagine how much it had frightened the child. Thinking over what all she had said, he felt amazed how she saw the world. Was this some sort of sight into an 'afterlife' of some kind? Then again . . . "So I have a string, too?"

"Yes."

"And you've never looked at the strings closely before?"

"No."

"Well, try looking now. See if there's anything in my string." He was curious. There was an idea in his mind in what these 'strings' might be. But he would have to see what she said about his 'string' for him to make a conclusive thought on it.

Concentrating very carefully, Aleena focused her sight on Dwight's string. She felt silly doing it. She never bothered to look at the strings before. They had always just been there. Never much seemed interesting by them. Looking at Angie's string had been an accident. But as Aleena stared at Dwight's string, she felt that similar pull as she had when she had focused on Angie's. Before the girl knew it, she was suddenly in a different place. She blinked, adjusting her eyes to the dark place she was in. It was strange. Very dark with two rows of beds on either walls. All the beds were plain metal with thin mattresses and white covers. Aleena walked forward, looking around the long room with lines and lines of beds. It was then that she noticed each bed had a kid sleeping in them. Some looked like her age. Others looked older. She blinked at them, wondering who these kids were. What kind of home was this? She looked over when she heard soft crying. A sudden wave of sadness hit her. It was different though than what she had felt from Angie. This time it was much deeper. Like a deep heartache.

Aleena looked over when she heard a door opening at the end of the long room. Sharp footsteps came down the room, letting Aleena see a woman dressed in a long white gown. The image of an old nursing gown came to mind as she stared at the woman. She remembered seeing that kind of dress from one of the books Dwight let her read. Was this some kind of doctor's office? She had never been to one before in person, but she had read about them.

"Quiet you!" the nurse woman snapped when she passed by the bed with the crying boy. Aleena then felt even sadder still, hurt by this woman's mean words. Suddenly, she was back on her bed, sitting there as she felt Dwight shaking her shoulder.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" he asked her in concern. He watched as she blinked out of her daze. It had worried him seeing her just sitting there, staring at him so blankly. It was as though she were in some kind of trance. What made him even more fearful was when tears started to run down her face.

"You were sad. You were living in a bad place," Aleena told him, feeling strange to have seen her father as a young child. "You were little, sleeping in a white bed, and the nurse snapped at you for crying at night." She watched as Dwight's face dropped. A sudden sad look crossed his face. She was not certain how to describe his expression. It was just . . . so sad.

"You must have seen when I . . . lived in the orphanage," he explained quietly.

"What's an orphanage?" the girl asked curiously.

"It's a place where children without families go. They stay there until they can find other families to take them in, or until they get too old and are kicked out to live on their own. It's not a very nice place. At least, not the place I had lived. It had been a mix between hospital and orphanage, and . . ." Dwight trailed off, appearing as though he no longer wanted to talk about it. He sat back suddenly, thinking deeply about everything Aleena had said and seemed to experience. "So these strings . . . It looks as though you can see into people's timelines."

"Timelines?"

"Ah, people's life stories." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Wait here. I think I have a book just for you."

Aleena waited patiently on the bed, watching as Dwight left the room briefly only to return with a book in hand. She took in the blue cover of the book and read the title _A Wrinkle in Time_. "What's this?" she questioned, staring at the book with keen interest.

"It's a book I think you'll like," Dwight explained, smiling when seeing how her eyes lit up. She always did get so excited to read and learn about new things. "I think you're seeing all these things because you're connected to time somehow. But that's only a guess. I don't know much on the subject myself, but I think it's time we did some research, don't you?"

"Yes, daddy," Aleena nodded in agreement, wanting to know all she can about what made her so different from the rest. She smiled, glad to have such a caring father to want to help her so much.

"Get some sleep now, sweetie." Dwight leaned down, giving her head a kiss. "Sweet dreams." He turned, shutting off the light before leaving the room.

Aleena scooted to lay down, ready for some more sleep. But she felt wide-awake now. Full of energy and ready for learning. So, she hurriedly pulled open her nightstand and grabbed a flashlight from the draw. Clicking on the light, she lay on her stomach, propped the book on her pillow, and began to read. She smiled as she flipped through the pages and kicked her feet lightly in the air. All the troubles of the day slowly leaving her mind as she fell into the story of Meg Murry's strange and different life.

XxXxXxXx

Aleena sat in the new car of Lia's, staring out the window as she gazed distantly at the town they drove through. It was small but much bigger than where they lived in Rachel. Soon, they would be at school, a place Aleena did not feel very fond of. She had been going there for months now, and so far she only ran into trouble.

The teachers were rather mean all the time, getting frustrated with Aleena whenever she got bored with their lesson plans and wanted to read or work on something else. There had been one day where she had finished all the worksheets the teacher had given her in a matter of seconds, but the teacher refused to believe she had actually done any of the work properly or did not just cheat in some way. Of course, it was easy to prove the teacher wrong by simply going to the board and writing out all the mathematical problems from not only the worksheet but from many of the books she read from Dwight's study. For some reason, though, this had only made the teacher even madder and had sent Aleena to the principal's office. Adults were so weird. Why get all mad when someone proved them wrong? Was it not better to find out if one was wrong so that way they can learn to be more right in the future? Maybe even learn something new? But it was fine, Aleena just learned to keep her mouth shut after that and to not correct adults. Since it was considered 'rude' and all.

The other kids were just as strange to her. They never seemed to want to talk about important things. Like what sort of books the teacher should give them to read, or what more they could learn. Rather they always just wanted to play or take naps or argue over who had the better backpack or snacks to eat. All kinds of boring things like that. So, Aleena learned to just sort of stay quiet and nod with whatever the other kids said to her. She rather just them go away and leave her alone, but Dwight said that she should be nice and at least listen to them. He explained that kids were not as developed as she was, so they were still confused by a lot of things in the world. They did not understand the Trachtenberg method of calculations or the physics of how balls bounce from certain heights or how wavelengths of light form through space into Earth's atmosphere. But then Dwight explained most adults did not even understand stuff like that, so . . .

She was just glad Dwight supplied her with enough books to read at home so that she was not so bored. He even taught her all kinds of things at home on the weekend when Lia was out shopping and such. Something that he said they would have to keep secret because Lia would not understand. Aleena already knew this. Lia did not understand her as much as Dwight did since the beginning. Especially after Angie had died almost two days after Aleena had predicted it. It seemed to have placed a barrier of sorts between Lia and her. Her mother did not believe that she had predicted the old woman's death, but . . . it had still unnerved Lia in some ways. Something which kept Lia from really connecting to Aleena. Though Aleena herself tried not to be bothered by this, she could not help but still wish she could have a better connection with Lia. Like the way all the other kids' mothers were with their children. Aleena would sometimes find herself staring at a few of the mothers dropping off their kids for the day, giving them kisses on their cheeks and hugs. Lia would never do that. It seemed the woman was not much into affection, not even with her own husband. But this still did not mean that Aleena lost hope in Lia giving her a kiss on the cheek. Just one time would be enough, really.

"I wish you would wear those dresses I pick for you," she heard Lia complaining. "You'd look so much prettier instead of always wearing those boy clothes Dwight gets you." Aleena glanced down at her blue shirt and jeans with sneakers. She always thought she looked nice enough. Besides, these clothes were much more comfortable than those itchy dresses Lia always got for her.

"I don't really like dresses," Aleena replied.

"Yes, but I do. So you need to start wearing them. Maybe put one on tomorrow, okay?" responded Lia. This sounded more of an order than a request. Aleena only sighed and nodded again. But she frowned in an afterthought.

"Why do girls have to wear dresses?" she questioned her mother out of curiosity.

Lia frowned in response, shooting Aleena a sceptical glance. "Because that is what girls wear."

"Yes, but why?"

"Because that is how it's always been."

"But why?"

"Because that is how things are and how they'll always be. Now, no more questions. It's not good for a woman to always ask questions all the time."

"But you ask dad lots of questions."

"Yes, but I'm an adult. There's a difference."

Now Aleena felt even more confused. "But you just said 'woman'. Doesn't that mean all females no matter what the age?"

Lia gave an exasperated sigh. "Aleena, no more questions, will you? No wonder you're having so many problems at school. A mouth like that is going to get you into a world of trouble one day."

Aleena sighed in return, pouting as she leaned against the door and went on staring outside. People were so weird. Lia included.

"Have a good day, dear. And behave," Lia said after they pulled up to the small schoolyard. Aleena gathered up her backpack and tin lunch box before hopping out of the vehicle. Turning to Lia, she shuffled her feet in hopes that maybe today would be the day Lia would actually get out of the car and give her a hug.

"Goodbye, mom," she said.

"Bye, dear," Lia replied, shutting the door behind the child before driving off. Sighing, Aleena adjusted the backpack on her shoulders before trudging off to class.

The day went on normal enough. Not much happened until recess period. Aleena sat in her usual spot on the swings, kicking her feet lightly in the air as she swung a bit back and forth. She would do this almost every day now, just watching the other children. A few teachers were outside as well, but they did nothing more than watch the children play and would yell whenever the kids acted up too badly. It was a mix of first graders to fifth graders out in the play area. For the most part, her classmates were off playing a game of kickball, but she preferred to just watch them. They never bothered to invite her to play with them anyway.

Looking around, she observed the strings connected to the kids and the stars which danced around the playground. It was always interesting to her seeing how long the strings on the kids were and how she could interact with them. She liked to practice a lot when she was in class when she got too bored. Over time she learned that she did not even have to focus and go in their timelines to see part of their life stories in the strings. All she had to do was glance at them and it was easy enough to just look at the images in the strings. Like a roll of film from a camera, really. She liked doing this more as she would not be off in the usual trance she went into and did not feel the strong emotions from their lives. Though she noticed over time that she was feeling people's emotions even without looking into their strings. She wondered if she had always been able to feel their emotions but had just never noticed before. Either way, she was glad that she could for it helped let her know when people were lying to her or were trying to be mean.

"Hey, get off our swings," an older fourth grader boy said as he and his friends came over.

"Your swings? I don't see your names on it," Aleena grumbled, but she got off the swings anyway, not wanting to start a fight. She did promise to behave at school, anyway. Stuffing her hands into her pant pockets, she frowned as she tried to think of where else to go to watch everyone. Nowhere else seemed nice enough to sit at. A ball suddenly bounced past her.

"Hey! Can you get our ball?" one of her classmates called out. Shrugging, she went after it. Maybe she could finally ask them if she could play with them. It would be nice to see how she could interact with the other kids.

The ball bounced around a corner, going down the section between two buildings. It was a hidden space that the teachers never let any kids go near, deeming it 'too unsafe.' Really, though, it was because once someone was down that area, they would be unseen by the rest of the playground. So this is where she ended up, going down the area to get the rubber ball. All the while her mind was wandering like it always did. Thinking of many things at once in her mind. She focused on the main situations, yes. But she also thought of many other things in the back of her mind. One thing, in particular, was of what she and Dwight had studied over the weekend. The history of the world, in particular, the history occurring in the 1500s in Europe. It always sounded neat to her learning about people in the past. She wondered what life had been like for them. Had there been people like her in the past? People who also saw the world differently?

Aleena finally picked up the rubber ball, turning it in her hands as she kept thinking about history. She blinked when a flash of white light surrounded her vision and she felt warm all over. Next thing she knew, she was suddenly in a place at night in a dark alleyway. She blinked, looking around where she was. Had she looked into someone's string without meaning to? But no, this felt different. It was not really hazy like it always was when she was in a person's timeline. It was very clear and felt present. And it . . . smelled. Her nose crinkled a bit as the air around her was very stinky. She walked forward a few paces, hearing many voices of people around the area. Where was she? Seeing a few people walk past the alleyway, she saw how there were many adults strolling about. Strangely and shockingly, they all wore similar clothing like what she had seen in her history books. Part of her wanted to think she was dreaming, but it was only logical that she had somehow found herself in the past. How? She had no idea. But it was very neat seeing everything here. Still, she wondered where she was.

"But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

Aleena blinked, looking around a corner slightly to see an even stranger sight still. It was a group of people. A man and two women standing just in front of a tall blue box. On top of the tall box where the words _Police Public Call Box_. That was weird. That was not a normal thing from this time period, right? She looked away from the box, staring at the people now. She looked at the woman who spoke first, seeing her dark skin, black hair up in a messy bun, red shirt and red leather jacket in her hands. Next to her was a lanky woman with brunette hair and very pale skin, wearing a denim jacket, trousers, and red trainers. While the one woman looked excited and full of awe, the other seemed very nervous and kept pinching her thumb. Tilting her head, Aleena stared at the woman, feeling a strange sensation as if she knew her . . . But why?

"Of course we can. Why do you ask?"

The words from the man caught Aleena's attention, making her look to him now. She noticed his light skin, definitely healthier looking than the other woman's very pale skin. He wore a very long trench coat, and strangely a brown pinstripe suit with cream colour trainers. The same strange feeling she got from the brunette woman went through Aleena again as she looked at the man. She took in his face as he stared confusedly back at the woman who had talked. His brown hair was messy around his head, light freckles were here and there on his face, and his eyes . . . were brown. They looked just like . . .

"It's like in the films . . . you step on a butterfly you change the future of the human race," said the woman with the messy bun.

"I'll tell you what, then, don't . . . step on any butterflies," the man eventually said after blinking at the woman. "What have butterflies ever done to you?" He then turned and walked away from the area. The two women followed right after him to keep up. Aleena stepped towards the end of the alleyway, finally out of the shadows where she had been hidden. She stared at the man and the one woman with brunette hair. The image of his eyes and freckles going through her mind. They were just like her freckles, and she had the same colour of eyes as him. Did . . . Did that mean . . . She looked at the strings attached to the two quickly, seeing the brilliantly golden string that was so long she could hardly see where it ended on the man. And the beautiful white string—so white that it made the colour of snow dull in comparison—that floated around the brunette woman. Strangely, the woman's string was entangled around the man's, twisting around his as though their timelines were holding each other closing with care. Again, as she stared at them, she felt the pull towards them. And she knew . . . she knew who they were. Somehow, though she had no clue how she knew, she just felt it in the core of her gut who these people were. Like . . . she had always known.

Aleena hugged the ball tight to her as she stepped back into the alleyway, feeling her hearts beat rapidly in excitement. She glanced at the blue box one last time before turning around and running back down the alley. How did she get here, though? And how was she going to get back? She thought of maybe something had been in the small area on the playground that had brought her here when, as she imagined the playground in her head, the white light and warm feeling came back. Next thing she knew, she was running out of the area and back to the kids she had just left moments ago. They were there like she had only left them seconds ago. Completely unaware of where she had just been and what she had just seen.

She smiled at them all, finding it funny how they stared back at her as though she were weird in being so excited for gathering up a ball for them all. But she did not care. For they had no idea what wonderful thing she had just discovered. Besides the travelling back in time, of course.

For she had finally found her true parents.

XxXxXxXx

XD! I'm so excited. I cannot wait until the next chapter! Please let me know what you all think. :) Keeping my fingers crossed!

~Tinker~


	4. Ch 4: Lost Parents

Hiya, readers!

Welcome back to another chapter. I hope it's a good one. ;)

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 4: Lost Parents

Right after that day she discovered her true parents, she ran straight into her room after she and Lia had gotten home. Pulling out her book of history, she flipped through and tried to think of what time period that had been. It had to be back in the 1500s of course. But which year specifically? She just had to get back there. She had to see them again. She just had to. Maybe if she saw them, they could explain why she was so different. Maybe they too were different? Of course, they must be. Why else would she be this way? Children always got traits from their parents passed down by genes. And obviously, they could jump through time like she just did. So that must mean there was so much they could really teach her. Not that Dwight was not a good teacher. But he taught her stuff about the world. She wanted to know more stuff about herself and what made her body tick.

She wondered what her true parents had been doing there. Who had been that other woman with them? Why were they wandering around that specific time period? How did they get there? How did she get there? So many more questions she had. Questions that she knew they would most likely have the answers to. But try as she might, no matter how much she thought over how she managed to get there to that alleyway, she could not think of how she had done it.

This went on like this for a year and a half. She would look through the area where she had gotten that ball and first seen her parents. But nothing happened again in that area. No matter how much she tried to replicate the event that made it happen in the first place. And looking through all her history books never helped. It never helped to just think about it, either. So, it seemed she was still stuck with Dwight and Lia. Not that she really minded. It was just she wanted answers from her real parents. That was all. She began to wonder here and there if maybe they really had abandoned her as Angie had said. But it just did not seem as though it was something they would do. Not that she really knew how her real parents were. It was just . . . a feeling she had.

Now, being six—almost seven—years old, she went about like normal as she could through school and life around her. Nothing much changed in a year. Kids still treated her as though she were a weird creature hanging around in their class. The teachers were still as frustrating to her as she was to them. Dwight still taught her on the weekends, and Lia still kept up that invisible barrier between the two of them. But still, things could be worse, right?

It was not until she had been bored at night that she finally replicated the moment when she had transported back in time.

She had been lying in bed on her stomach, reading through the old American history book of Dwight's. It was a repeated read. Mostly because she was running out of books to go through in the house. Dwight said he could hardly keep up with her thirst for knowledge and that he was going to have to make a run with her to the library in the city. That only excited her. The library was her favourite place to visit. So big and grand with that old smell of knowledge coming from all those books. She hoped maybe this time he might let her read some more fiction besides all the non-fiction for her studies. She would have liked to get the new book that continued from one of her all-time favourite reads _A Wrinkle in Time_. That book always held a spot in her hearts and she would love to see how else Meg Murry's story developed.

All the while of thinking of this, her mind played through images in mind of what she was reading. Finally, she brought her attention to what she was looking through, seeing she had reached the part of the book when the United States' moment of declaring independence and the men who wrote the Declaration of Independence and such. She gazed at the picture, seeing the image of the men signing the paper that sat on the desk. What had it been like back then? Where they all scared to sign such a document that would change everything they knew? Where they frightened to face against punishment for what they were doing? She could only imagine being there, feeling all their emotions and listening to their words.

Suddenly, as she had her finger on the picture, she felt the warmth go through her and saw the white light surround her body. She stood up quickly in bed from shock, only to find herself standing before a desk with her finger on a paper. Blinking, she stared the paper curiously, feeling the strange texture of it under her finger. A loud bit of gasping came around her. Looking around, she saw many men dressed in old colonial clothing staring right back at her. Quickly she looked over her shoulder, seeing one man with a quill in hand. It appeared he had just been about to sign the paper where her finger was placed. She then smiled at the man, recognizing him from the pictures in her book.

"Sign here, Mister Handcock," she said brightly before concentrating on an image of her room. As quickly as she appeared there, she had vanished and was back standing in her room with a finger on the picture of her book. She could not help but giggle in delight, so happy to have finally done it. She travelled back in time! And now she knew how to do it!

From then on, she began to practice her powers much more. All in secret, of course. Even from Dwight himself. She doubted he would approve of using her abilities as he never seemed to think it was good to do just in case she was to be discovered by others. She understood why he was scared, but as long as she practised in private she was certain that everything would be fine. So, she practised, testing herself in ways she never had before. She used more of her moving objects by focusing on them. A term that came to mind would be telekinesis (or psychokinesis how one might view it) in what this ability of hers was. But she did not feel as though this felt right. She could not tell how, but she just felt that it was not the object itself that she was moving. More of the surrounding atoms in the air that formed around the object. It was weird how she knew what this was, but she began to realize that she could almost _see_ the atoms around the objects when she moved them. Maybe she had control over atoms and matter? No matter how much she read over this, though, she had no answers if this could be possible scientifically. Perhaps it was just something she could do. Maybe her parents could, too.

The one power she focused on the most was trying to travel through time more. This one was the hardest for her. She knew how she could do it. It was simple, just focus on a point of time she wanted to travel to by picturing it in her mind. But getting it to work was the real challenge. Travelling back too far would make her feel too tired if she did it more than twice a day. But going back by just a few minutes she could do about four times. But after that, she would have to get some rest for the headaches and body aches she get were just too much for her. Plus, there were a few times where she could actually be able to watch herself from moments ago and see her past self. When she began to realize she could accidentally run into her past self, something in her mind told her this was bad. Very, very bad. Like an instinct in her telling her to keep away from her past self. Luckily, she could always sense where past versions of herself were, so it was an easy thing to avoid. Not that she really went back all the time that shortly. It was mostly just for practice really.

Currently, she sat bored at a baseball game/cookout. Something Lia and her friends made of some sort of 'mom event' with their kids and husbands. Aleena just felt tired of watching the slow game of boys and their fathers running around. She would have had a lot more fun if they had let her join in the game. But apparently it was for 'boys only' as her mother and the others said. At least Dwight agreed with her. It was not fair for them to leave people out of the game. He sat next to her, talking with his old friend Gus Shepard. No one really paid her much attention. And that was when she got her idea of getting back at the stupid boys for not letting her play came in mind.

She glanced at Dwight, seeing how he was completely distracted by his talking to Shepard. Then she looked quickly around to everyone else in the metal stands around the baseball field. No one paid her any mind at all. Would they even know that it was her that would be doing it? She very much doubted it. Smirking lightly, she sat up straighter and focused on the ball that was being ready to be thrown. The boy threw it, making it fly very fast towards the batter.

"Hey!" yelled the one father who was the umpire of the game. "Watch how you throw that thing!" Aleena giggled as the ball bounced off the batter's helmet and went soaring back through the air towards the other players.

"Sorry!" called back the one boy. Aleena smirked even more. This was the one boy in her class that always picked on her at school. His name was Trenton and he always pushed her around on the playground. He would tease her all the time, calling her a 'freak' and other such names, pull on her hair, try to take away her books that she read, and anything else horrible he could think to do to her. He and the other boys on the field were a bunch that would gang up on her at school. Now it was time for some payback. She glanced at Dwight one more time before looking back out at the field.

Snickering, she made the ball bounce around the field, avoiding all the boys and fathers who tried to catch it. People in the stands began to notice, laughing at the sight of the ball seemingly rolling away any time a player tried to get it. Aleena laughed too, finding it much more fun than some silly game. Perhaps she had gotten a little too distracted in controlling the ball, for when a boy had finally grabbed it, it jerked out of his hand and slammed face first into another player. The boy screamed, clutching his nose as it bled as the ball rolled away. Aleena gasped along with the crowd. Feeling horrible about what she had done, she could only stare at the poor boy as the other players and parents came over to consult him. She did not mean to hurt anyone. Just mess with them is all. Oh, no. Would he be okay?

"What happened?" Dwight asked out loud, looking confused as he had not really been paying attention.

"It was strange. Like the ball had a mind of its own," Shepard told him. "It was bouncing all over the place and hit the poor boy smack dab in the face." Aleena turned to her dad, tugging on his shirt.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it," she said to him, trying to convey what had happened. It only took Dwight a moment to realize what she meant. He glanced at Shepard quickly, seeing the slow frown that formed on his friend's face.

"Sorry, Gus, but I think it's time me and Aleena get headed home," Dwight spoke up swiftly, standing up with his daughter's hand in his. He then hurriedly proceeded down the metal stands and towards the parking lot.

"Dwight? Where are you going? I promised the girls we help out with cleaning up after the cookout," Lia said as they walked by. She crossed her arms in disproval, not liking how her husband was leaving without asking her first.

"Sorry, Lia, but Aleena isn't feeling good. I think she's had a bit too much sun," Dwight lied. Aleena kept her head down, knowing that most likely she should act like she was indeed not feeling well. The lie worked as Lia sighed and nodded.

"Okay. I'll get a ride home with Helen," she said. She then looked to Aleena in pity. "Get some rest, dear. Take some medicine when you get home. I can't have you getting sick on us, okay?"

"Yes, mom," mumbled Aleena. She followed alongside her father, jumping into Dwight's truck once they were at the vehicle. Dwight was about to get into the truck as well when a cough came from behind him.

"Dwight? Can I have a word?" he heard the voice of Shepard. Sighing, he stepped back out from the truck.

"Wait in here, sweetie. Just have to have a quick word," Dwight said, smiling a bit to reassure his daughter nothing was wrong. He saw how Aleena nodded lightly before he shut the door and turned back around to face his old friend. "What is it, Gus?" He tried keeping his voice light to sound innocent. But there was no fooling Shepard as the man crossed his arms and looked steadily at Dwight.

"She did that, didn't she?" Shepard asked, voice set in a hard stance already.

"What makes you think that?" Dwight responded as casually as possible. Still, there was no tricking Shepard.

"What else has she been able to do? Is making balls bounce around a normal trick of hers?" Shepard asked, glancing at the girl in the truck. The man saw how she stared back. Those brown eyes that always made him feel wary in the way they gazed at him. Like she was staring deeply into him and could read him like a book. It was why he stopped coming over to Dwight's house for a while now. The child just unsettled him so much. Especially when he knew he should have reported her to his higher-ups.

"Look, it was an accident. She didn't mean it," Dwight finally said, giving into Shepard's questioning.

"Oh, an accident, was it?"

Dwight narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Christ, Gus, it was just a bloody nose. It wasn't like she hurt the boy badly. And you heard her, she said she was sorry about it. I'll talk to her and make certain she doesn't use her gifts out of place like that again."

"'Gifts'? Is that what you call it?" Shepard shook his head at Dwight, staring at the man in disbelief.

"Okay, abilities, then. Is that better? Look I don't have time for you to question how I raise my daughter. I need to get her home."

Shepard could only stare at his old friend in disbelief. "'Your daughter'? Damn it, Dwight, she's not your kid. She's not even human."

"We don't know that."

"Oh, yes, we do. Last time you had me give her a checkup, there was nothing human about her. Her two hearts beat at a rate of a hundred seventy, her temperature is well below what any normal persons should be, she had multiple breathing lungs in her from what I can tell. And now, she's making balls hit little kids in the face. Who knows what she'll do next. That's why Colonel Jefferson always says to report stuff like this in case they're a threat to us. She may even kill someone if you don't—."

Getting angry now, Dwight stormed over to Shepard. "Now, you listen here. She is and always will be my daughter. Doesn't matter what you or anyone else says. And just because she's different does _not_ make her some kind of freak or monster. She's just a child learning how the world works and where she fits into it all. Any kid with gifts like hers would act up just the same and have trouble controlling themselves. So don't act like she's something to lock up just because she's more gifted than normal kids." He turned back to his truck but not before looking at Shepard one last time. "Threaten to give my kid up to the Colonel again and I'll give you something to really report to our boss. You got that?"

He did not give time for Shepard to respond as he jumped into his truck and started it up. The engine revved loudly as he pulled quickly out of the parking lot and down the street. It was not until they were far away from the baseball field did Dwight finally relax his tight grip on the steering wheel. He looked at Aleena, seeing how she stared at her hands in her lap. Her expression was sad and dejected. A heavy sigh left him as he knew she heard all of that. Her hearing and other senses were always so much better than any normal person's.

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Aleena finally mumbled quietly. "I just . . . I got bored and wanted to pull a prank on them."

"I know, sweetheart," Dwight said softly, knowing what she had been thinking. Though she did not know it, he knew she had been practicing her powers off and on at home. It was not the first time she had pulled pranks with her gifts. There had been quite a few incidents at school with the teachers and other children. Nothing harmful. Just things like pulling chairs out from under people or making objects fall off desks or chalk flying off the boards or paper aeroplanes glide a little too smoothly around the classrooms. Things that no one could quite explain so they never directly pointed fingers at Aleena. But he knew just by the strange occurrences of what she had done.

"I won't use my powers ever again. I promise," Aleena said hurriedly, looking at Dwight with wide eyes of fear. "I promise I'll be normal like everyone else from now on. You don't have to get rid of me. Honest!"

Dwight could not help but laugh. "Now, why would I ever want you to try to be like everyone else?" He gave her a kind smile when seeing her bewilderment. "Aleena, your powers make you unique. Something no one else in this world has. Just as there's something unique about everyone in one way or another. We're all special, different from each other. Your gifts are what make you, you, and you should never feel ashamed of that." He could tell his words made Aleena feel a little better. She even smiled a bit. Though he could tell she was still worried. What Shepard said must have frightened her.

"But your friend knows about me? You always said that if anyone found out they would take me away."

"Yes. They would. That's why we have to be careful." Dwight let out a long sigh. "Aleena, you have to be careful from now on. You can still use your powers around me all you like while we're at home. Nowhere else though. It's too risky. Especially don't use it on people. We don't know how far your gifts go, so you might accidentally hurt them. Remember, you're a lot stronger than most kids your age and heal a lot quicker. So you have to keep that in mind."

"Okay, dad. I promise to be careful. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I know you don't." He looked over, seeing the worry in her brown eyes. "But don't worry about that now. I know Gus, and he won't do anything to hurt you. And as long as you just don't use your gifts in public anymore, everything will be fine. I promise." He gave her an affectionate rub on her head, messing up her hair even more than it already was.

Aleena giggled, smiling even brighter now as she bounced lightly on the seat. "Could we go to that park I like? Please, please?"

"Sure! We haven't been there forever." A soft smile grew on his face as he watched Aleena cheer and bounced with excitement. It was nice seeing her be at ease as nothing more than a child. Sometimes it seemed she forgot to just let herself be a kid at times.

When they pulled up into the small parking lot to the park with swings, large slide, and merry-go-round, Aleena jumped out of the truck as soon as they were parked. Dwight smiled as he watched her giggle loudly in delight and run to go to the slide first. She always loved climbing that thing and pretend she was going up a mountain. He went over to a bench himself, sitting down to observe her play. There were even a few other kids with their families there. But as always, she stayed away from the other children her age. And, as always, he began to worry about her. She should feel like all the other children. Able to make friends and enjoy life like everyone else. How could he help her with that? Could he ever help her feel not so isolated from all the others? How can he give her the best life?

The bench creaked as someone joined him. He glanced over, seeing a rather strange man sitting beside him. The man was older than he in appearance judging by the lines in his face and silvery-grey hair. The eyebrows were rather noticeable, too. But that was another common thing with age. It was mostly the strange suit the man wore that made Dwight stare at him. The older man wore a three-buttoned navy jacket with red lining, though the jacket was only buttoned with one of the three buttons at the top. A white buttoned-up dress shirt, navy waistcoat that matched the jacket, black suit pants, and black, shiny boots. Dwight looked away when he realized he was staring for too long. But he could not help himself in letting a few glances go towards the man every few seconds, watching the way the man stare towards Aleena with such a sad expression.

"Is she happy?" the man suddenly asked. Dwight blinked, not certain why the man was suddenly asking about his daughter. Who was this man? Had Shepard already told the Colonel and now they were being followed? Should he hurry up and get Aleena out of here? Where could they go if they were being chased by the Colonel and his men?

"Ah . . . I like to think so," Dwight finally answered, feeling wary of the man. He did not look like Colonel Jefferson's usual. Mostly because the man had a noticeable Scottish accent. "Though . . . I worry about her from time to time."

"How so?" the man asked, sounding very curious, though still watched Aleena play with distant eyes.

"She doesn't wish to make friends with the other kids like I hope she would. I'm afraid she's going to grow up alone if she doesn't try to make a friend or two."

"Ah, well, friends come on their own time. The good ones, at least. But it's never about whether or not she grows up alone. We all grow up alone in some ways or another. It's whether or not the memories she has is happy enough to keep her from turning into a cold adult like me." The man grew quiet, watching Aleena climb up the slide again for the third time, laughing as she pretended to place an invisible flag on top and declaring it hers. "You gave her a home when you didn't have to. You gave her that bit of normal life, of a childhood all children need. You could have just sent her away. But you didn't. You chose to give her a chance like you were given when you were alone as a child. You chose to give her kindness, happiness." The man finally turned his blue eyes to Dwight. Eyes that stared at Dwight in a very similar way that Aleena always did. "Thank you for that."

Dwight stared back at the man quietly, feeling strange yet calm by everything the man was saying. And he knew from the man's words of who he was. Dwight looked back at Aleena sadly. "Are . . . Are you going to take her now?"

"No." The man looked away, back at Aleena with such a sad expression. "She'll come to me one day when the time's right. In fact, I really shouldn't be here. But we had an argument and I was just trying to think in how I can be a better father to her. I want to be a good man for her. Her mother would want that." The man sat there for a moment longer before getting up from the bench. He went to leave but turned once more back to Dwight. "Again, thank you. If there was anyone I would have wanted to take care of her, it was someone like you."

Dwight watched the man walk away from the park, going across the street to a strange blue box. The man stepped inside the box as though it were completely normal. A large truck drove by, blocking Dwight's view of the box. When the truck moved, the box was gone. As though it had never been there to begin with. He turned back around, facing the park and watching his daughter play. All the while thinking of the time Aleena would finally meet her real father.

XxXxXxXx

"All right, children, line up!" called the teacher, making all the third graders line up at the door. "I want an orderly fashion to the playground. No, funny business. And that means you, Aleena." The teacher shot the brunette girl a look, making Aleena frown.

"Yeah, no funny business, freak," came the hiss from Trenton next to her. She glanced over to the boys' line from where she stood with the girls, shooting him a glare. But she said nothing in return, only marched out with all the rest. Why did the teachers always think she was going to cause trouble? It was not as if she had corrected them rudely in a while or pulled any pranks. It had been months since she even spoke out of term. But no, apparently once one had done something wrong, then they would always be seen as troublesome.

Aleena left the line as soon as the children scattered and went their separate ways on the playground. She went over to a shady spot by a large tree in the corner of the area, sitting down and holding the book in hand that she had brought out with her. It was _A Wrinkle in Time_. She wanted to give it another read as it had been a while since she went over the story with Meg Murry. It was just getting to Aleena's favourite part, too. When the Meg, her brother Charles, and friend Calvin had arrived at the planet Camazotz, discovering what evils the Black Thing had done to the people in that world. She wondered if there was anything out there in real life like the Black Thing. She would love to fight it and win the battle for good like Meg did.

"Yo, freak!"

She glanced up from her book, looking to see Trenton and his three friends coming over to her. Great. Here they go again. Bothering her when she was just trying to mind her own business. Could not they just leave her alone? It was not like as though she went out of her way to bother them.

"What do you want, Trenton?" she sighed in exasperation. She refused to let them have the satisfaction in her giving them attention. The books on psychology always said not to show a reaction from a situation like this for it would only reinforce the bad behaviour. Something she remembered from the section she read on Skinner—"Hey!" She jerked forward as Trenton snatched the book out of her hands.

"What dumb book are you reading now?" he scoffed, looking at the book and holding it badly. If he dropped the book it would most definitely get dirty and crumbled.

"What does it matter what I read? Just mind your own business!" Aleena yelled, trying to get the book back. But she was pushed back another boy as they all laughed at her. Soon, the book was being tossed about by the boys while Aleena tried getting it back. It was like a game of monkey in the middle. Though the only laughter came from the bullies and the other children who began to gather around to point and jeer at her. The teachers were nowhere to be seen. Merely ignoring the growing crowd of kids in the corner of the playground. The feeling of helplessness and being pushed around only built up Aleena's anger, boiling up to the surface.

"You're always reading those books so you can show off to the teachers," said one boy nastily.

"Think you're so much better than us," said another.

"My dad says that's why you're an orphan. 'Cause your parents knew you were trash when you were born," laughed the last boy. Aleena rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah. That's the reason I'm an orphan. Reading books. And, you know, not because I lay around on my couch all day, drinking booze and yelling at a tv set instead of giving attention to any of my kids and wife like your dad does, Jason," Aleena retorted crossly at the one boy.

"What the hell do you know?!" yelled Jason as his face grew red.

"More than your dad does. So, don't use what he says to insult me because your dad can't even understand his own son," Aleena barked, narrowing her eyes at the blonde boy as she saw what had happened recently in his string's story. "Now just give me my book back. It's not like you can read it anyway." Trenton just had a smooth smirk on his face, glancing back at his friends.

"Should I give her book back?" he asked his friends. They all smiled and nodded. Suddenly, Aleena's hearts stopped when he began to rip the book apart page by page and toss the pages at her. Before long, the whole book was torn apart and left scattered at her feet. Aleena could only stare at it in pure disbelief and horror while the boys and everyone else laughed at her. "There. You got your book back. Have a fun read, freak."

Next thing anyone knew, Aleena let out an enraged yell and launched herself at the boy. She did not think of the consequences of attacking the boy for he was rather popular at school and his father was a 'well established' man with the school. So of course, she would be in big trouble if she did anything to Trenton. But she did not care. All she cared about was that her most precious book had been destroyed, and all she could see was red as she jumped the boy. She was just so angry. Angrier than she had ever felt in her entire life. She hit him wherever she could reach. At one point she ended up on top of him as he fell to the ground. It was only after her anger began to ebb away that she heard his screams on pain and fright. The white light around her body edged away as well.

"Get off of him this instant!"

Aleena felt herself be pushed away by a teacher as another crouched by Trenton to check him over. She stared at the sight of the boy while the teachers gasped in shock. Trenton had a bruised up body, broken arm, broken nose, and bloody lip. But that was not what made the teachers gasp. No, it was from the vicious red, burn-like, marks all across his face. As though someone had thrown scalding liquid all over him.

"What have you done, you horrible child?!" one of the teachers exclaimed in outrage. Aleena looked at the teachers and at all the other children. All stared at Aleena in horror. As though she were some kind of wild animal. She felt her hearts racing, breathing increasing, and cold chill go through her. She did not mean to hurt him. She never wanted to hurt anyone. But he had just made her so angry . . . Oh, no. What had she done? Was she a monster?

Panic went through her as she turned and ran away from the scene. The only thought going through her mind was to run away and get back home. The warmth and white light went through her quickly and, the next thing she knew, she was running up to the front door of her home. It was later in the day, though. Almost sunset. Much later than when she had been at school. But she did not care about that. She just wanted to be with her parents and seek comfort with them.

"Dad! Mom!" she shouted as she ran into the home. She saw Dwight and Lia sitting right there in the living room. Dwight had the phone in hand with the cable almost wrapped around him as he paced back and forth. Lia sat there nervously on the couch, twiddling her thumbs together. They both froze in shock when seeing Aleena standing there in the doorway with tears streaming down her face.

"Aleena?!" Lia gasped.

"Aleena, where have you been?" Dwight asked quickly, untangling himself from the phone cord and hanging it up. He then went over to his daughter, leaning down to give her a hard hug. "We were so worried."

"The school called and said you had gotten into a fight! You injured that boy horribly and then you ran off right after? How could you do such a thing?! What were you thinking?!" Lia yelled, going over to stand in front of Aleena and cross her arms tightly together. "Where did you even go? How did you get back here? Did you go hitchhiking?"

"No, mom," Aleena replied, sniffling as she tried calming herself down. She had to remember that, even though it had only happened seconds ago for her, what she had done to Trenton had probably been hours ago for them.

"Explain yourself, young lady!" Lia ordered, shaking on the spot as she pointed a finger at the child.

"Lia, calm down," Dwight spoke evenly, glancing back at his wife. He waited until Lia looked calmer before turning back to Aleena. "Okay, now tell us what happened, sweetie." Aleena shifted on the spot, afraid to tell them what happened. Afraid of what they would think of her. But she could not bring herself to lie to them. She never could.

"Trenton and his friends were making fun of me. He ripped up my book . . . and I got mad," Aleena mumbled, feeling her face go red from the shame she felt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"You got mad? Aleena, you burned that child's face. He's going to be scarred for life," Lia said, completely in disbelief. "How did you even do that?"

"I don't know," Aleena responded truthfully, feeling at a loss of how she had done such a thing. She remembered the white light . . . Did that have something to do with that?

"And how did you even get home? What—," Lia went to continue on, but was stopped by Dwight.

"Lia, that's enough," he said evenly. He looked to his wife, then back at Aleena. Letting out a long sigh, he rubbed at the back his head, trying to think of what to do next. The call he received only moments ago, a call from Shepard telling him of what the man saw while he had been in town near the school . . . and what Shepard decided to do next . . . Perhaps they had no choice now. Or, rather _he_ had no choice. He would have to finally tell his wife the truth.

"Aleena, why don't you sit on the couch. I think it's time we've had a talk," Dwight spoke calmly. He waited until the child went over to the couch and sat on it, shifting in a nervous way. He then looked to Lia, seeing how she still stood there with her arms crossed, waiting for an explanation. He walked away to go to his study, only to come back with a stethoscope in hand. "Lia . . . there's something I've been keeping from you. I only did it because I was afraid you wouldn't treat Aleena . . . like any other child."

"What are you talking about?" Lia asked, looking more and more confused by the second. When Dwight handed her the stethoscope, he nodded for her to take a listen to Aleena's heart. Frowning, Lia placed the earpieces in her ears and crouched down in front of Aleena. She then proceeded to listen to the child's chest. The girl sat there as still as possible, with her hearts pounding away in her chest while her mother listened. She was so afraid for Lia finding out the truth about her, but if her father thought it would be fine then she was sure that her mother would be okay with it.

"Okay . . ." Lia said slowly as she gradually got back up to her feet, still frowning as she removed the stethoscope and gave it back to Dwight. "So, she has two hearts. What does that show me? It's just a birth defect. We could always get the second heart removed."

"That's not . . . That's not the only thing," Dwight replied, sighing as he felt frustrated Lia would immediately wish to remove a seeming defect from their child. He looked to Aleena, feeling uncertain, yet hopeful that Lia would come to understand. Once she understood what Aleena was, she would help him protect their child from whatever harm the world wished to throw at her.

Aleena too was thinking something similar. She was terrified to finally reveal herself to someone other than her father. But, even though Lia always placed up a barrier between them, Aleena felt it in her hearts that her mother would always love her. She looked at Lia with her large eyes, before letting out a breath and looking around objects in the surrounding room. Objects suddenly shifted before slowly floating up. There were a few books from the coffee table, a lamp in the corner of the room, the television, and even Dwight's comfy chair. Soon, she let go, allowing the objects to fall back into place with various thuds. She then smiled at Lia, waiting for the woman's response. Slowly, her smile faded as she saw the look of horror cross her mother's face.

"W-what . . . What is this?" Lia asked weakly, looking at Dwight for answers. "How did she . . . Did she just . . ."

"Lia, just listen," Dwight spoke up carefully, holding up his hands to keep his wife calm. "Aleena . . . she's more special than you could ever realize. That's why I refused to ever take her to any other doctor besides Gus. Because if they ever found out just how unique she was—."

"This—This isn't 'unique,'" Lia breathed, taking a step back from them both. "This . . . This isn't human."

"Lia," Dwight sighed, shaking his head, "it doesn't matter if she's not human. She still our daughter. And as our daughter, we have to protect her. Gus has already called in Colonel Jefferson and the others. They'll be here in a matter of minutes. We need to—."

"No, _you_ need to do . . . whatever it is you want to do," Lia countered, shaking her head as she refused to even look at Aleena now. "I'm sorry, Dwight. But . . . I'm not going to be a part of this. This isn't right." The woman was shaking from head to toe as she turned quickly and walked out of the house. They heard her car start up before gravel sped from under the tires as she was clearly running away from them. Dwight could only stand there . . . stunned. After all these years of being together with the love of his life, she would abandon him just like that? And their daughter as well? He knew how much she wanted to stay in her world of normal and how much she denied anything unusual. But running away like that? He looked over to Aleena and felt his heart break upon the sight of his daughter silently crying on the couch.

Aleena felt her hearts twisting in pain. She felt such devastation, rejection, and at a loss. She always knew Lia never really felt attached to her. But . . . she knew thought that Lia would hate her that much to leave her behind. In fact, Aleena did not care much about Lia leaving _her_. Yes, it hurt so badly. But it was more that her mother left her father behind. She could feel his pain from Lia leaving, and it hurt even more than her own grief in losing the love from her mother. She looked up from her lap, staring at Dwight as he held a firm hand on her shoulder and crouched down in front of her. Her lip trembled as more tears fell down her face.

"I'm so sorry, daddy. I'm so, so sorry," she whimpered. She let out a soft sob, closing her eyes tightly to try and hold in her tears. She felt the strong arms wrap around her in a comforting hug.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Dwight told her calmly. He pulled back from their hug, giving her a reassuring smile. "Lia just got scared. Once she calms down she'll come back. I promise." He glanced out the window, wondering just how much time they had. "Aleena . . . there are some bad people heading for us now. So, I want you to go pack a few things into a backpack and get ready to leave. If things get too dangerous, then I want you to do what it is when you transport away from places."

"You know about that?" whispered Aleena.

Dwight gave her a smile. "I've known about it for a while, sweetheart. I was just going to let you tell me when you were ready. Now, if I tell you to run away, will you do that for me?"

Aleena began tugging on her earlobe, feeling her hearts sped up from her anxiety at the thought of strangers coming after her. All the years of Dwight warning her about people coming to get her if they ever found out about her she had never thought it would actually come true. She thought that Dwight would always be able to protect her. But now, in knowing because of her messing up, she would be ruining his life. She already ruined his and Lia's relationship. What more was she doing to her father? She gave him a nod, not letting him see her inner turmoil, before quickly going into her room. Grabbing the nearest spare backpack, she stuffed it full of clothes that she knew she might need. She even grabbed her light-blue jacket just in case she might go somewhere chilly. She paused by the small bookshelf in her room, wondering if she should bring any books with her. But the only book that would have felt worth keeping had already been destroyed. So, she tightened the backpack on her shoulders and went back into the living room.

Already, she knew something was wrong. She heard many cars coming up to their home, screeching across the dirt in their lawn. Dwight looked pale when she glanced at him. She was frozen to the spot, terrified by the look of fear on her father's face. He turned to her quickly in urgency.

"Aleena, run," he ordered her hurriedly. "Run out the back door and leave this place. Don't stop running."

"But what about you?" she whimpered.

"Just run," he responded fast when they heard the loud shouting of men outside their home.

"But daddy—."

"Run!"

Aleena turned tail and bolted into the kitchen and out the door in the back of their house. Dust flew behind her with how fast she ran across the dusty backyard of theirs. The ground of the desert shifting under her feet with every hard step. Before she had a chance to think of where she could jump to, the thundering sound of gunfire made her hearts freeze and halt in place. She skidded to a stop, turning around with a wide-eyed expression. With breath catching in her throat, she ran back to the house. She did not even bother fearing of those who might be inside waiting for her. All she cared about was getting back to her father. A grunt came from two men as she flung open the door in the back of the home, hitting the two in the face. She scurried around the rest before they even registered she was there, heading to the living room.

A cold chill washed over her, making her halt in place in the archway of the kitchen to the living room. Slowly, her hearts sped up in place as her eyes widened even more. All colour drained from her face as she stared at the sight before her. It looked as though there had been a struggle. As though Dwight had tried to keep the men out of the home. But they had forced their way in, and then . . .

All she could do was stare at the body of her father on the ground. His life long gone as she stared into his cloudy eyes. The glasses he always wore were broken at her feet, where they had fallen when punched off his face. Her whole body shook as she fell to her knees. Tears poured down her face with her eyes refusing to leave the sight of Dwight's body lying across the floor on his back. A wound was on his chest, showing her where he had been shot.

"There's our target," came the voice from a gruff sounding man. "Go ahead and pack her up. Let's take her back to headquarters." More voices came, but she did not pay attention. All she felt was her hearts pounding away, her shaking body, the way everything felt like she was dying. Her shaking hand grabbed Dwight's broken glasses as she let out a sob. The rough hand that grabbed her from behind woken her from her daze. She let out a scream from her terror, as well from her anger of what had happened. The white light lashed out from her body, throwing all the men backwards from the sudden violent release of energy. A few let out yells as they were burned across their faces, windows shattered, furniture flew back, and walls cracked.

Then, as Aleena kept screaming in her tears and terror, she vanished from the spot.

XxXxXxXx

Oh no. That poor child. :( Why can't anything ever just be nice for our Time Lord/Wanderer family? Agh! Well, any thoughts of what will happen next? I'd very much like to hear your thoughts. :) Please let me know in a review! Always helps to keep my writing in track so it stays good for everyone.

Reviewers:

 **Momochan77** : So glad you're liking Aleena so far. :) Dwight is a good dad for her I think. Lia is not so bad, really. Just a person stuck in a normal, slow life. Something I know the Doctor runs into quite often on his travels. Angie though . . . yeah, she is a bit of work. Though old sadness like that can turn a person bitter. Aleena really does deserve a hug. That poor baby. :( Hope you liked the new chapter! Can't wait to see what you think. :)

 **bored411** : I know I can't wait until Aleena and the Doctor finally meet. :) Let's hope she arrives in a good moment. And, yes, Aleena is very cute haha.

 **mjahappy** : Well . . . some people were not happy, yes. But that's okay! I'm just glad that they gave my story a read in the end. Even if they didn't like the ending all that much. I'm so glad that you did though! :) I didn't always plan on it ending the way it did, but I think it was always meant to be. And now, it's Aleena's turn at a story. ;)

 **All The Stories Are True 24601** : I'm just so, so happy that you're liking it! Aleena is rather cute haha.

 **Delightfully Tacky** : Hello! She is rather adorable, yes. :) I believe if Alpha had grown up in a normal life (for a Time Lord anyway) then yes things could have been different. Then again, we wouldn't have Wanda around and I don't believe Alpha would have been travelling with the Doctor at all. Some things are just meant to happen. I believe she might just follow the threads of her parents' lives, coming across the companions as she goes. But we'll have to wait and see for sure. ;) Until next time!

 **NightHunterDeath** : You're welcome! We writers must always help each other grow in our writing. :) There are time skips happening already. As we saw in this chapter, there's going to be a major change coming to Aleena's life now. For better . . . or worse. Hopefully Aleena continues to be a likeable character for you and ends all that dread. There's going to be a bit of healing for everyone (insides the story and out). Not really her first jump. You'll see more of what all those hints meant in the future to come. ;) Yay for liking it more! Don't be sad, the stars are a good thing. Something we'll have to wait and discover more about when it comes to Aleena's own stars that guide her. Sorry about the open wound. :( Hopefully a bit more of this can help us all move on and love the new story to come.

 **MaidenTouchOfMadness** : I'm so glad you're liking it!

 **swimmjacket** : I know I'm happy when I get to see you after the updates. :) I know, I'm still saddened by her loss as well. But we will grieve and learn to move forward, just I think others will in this story as well. But that's spoilers for now. Yay! I'm so happy that you're enjoying Aleena so far. :) Really hope she will continue to be an enjoyable character. Oh, I'm always worried haha. Dwight is a very good dad for her. Angie is just a woman who let her grief and anger corrupt her over time. But yes, she is terrible. Oh, I know. So close she gets sometimes. Ugh! Don't worry, Aleena doesn't really plan on leaving her adoptive parents . . . by choice. She is very much her parent's daughter. ;) And, oh, it will be a surprise all right. ;) Until next time!

 **LegendsOfTime** : Yay! So glad you're liking it. Oh, it will soon enough. ;)

 **normandy1701** : She really is haha. I think Aleena is going to get nice looks through all of her parent's lives. Or at least we can hope she can. Sorry for the sore heart. I feel you there, trust me. :( No worries on commenting! I'm just happy hearing from you whenever you get the chance. I'm very quick at updating sometimes haha. And you're quite right. We will be getting all our answers in time. ;) Hope to see you again and that you enjoyed the new chapter!

 **All The Stories Are True 24601** : Glad you like! :)

 **wonderbitch26** : It is very nice seeing Aleena have abilities like what her mother would have had if not for the split between her and Alpha. Aleena is also something very new to the universe. ;) I worried about that. Glad to see that Aleena is developing into a nice character to read! Aleena is definitely her mother and father's daughter haha Hope to see you again in the future!

 **CJ/OddBall** : hahaha Sorry to say but there's going to be a lot of close calls through this story. Hope that's okay. ;)

 **Guest(a)** : Yay! I'm just so happy that you're enjoying it so far. I just really hope that I can continue bringing good chapters to the story. Oh yes, haha, most certainly her father's daughter.

 **ChickenPotPie** : lol Happy that you're liking Aleena. She is rather cute isn't she? haha Angie is just a person who let her anger make her bitter over time. Such a sad fate, really. That's why I really wanted to do this story. Because I want to know what Time Children are like lol. Really hope that you'll like the rest to come. :)

 **BeCent** : I'm excited that you're excited! :D So glad that you're liking it all so far. Can't wait for you to read the rest to come. :)

 **N7SpaceHamster** : I cannot wait to see what you think of what's to come. I really, really have my hopes up that you will enjoy it. :) Love the similarities do you? ;) There's going to be a lot of moments like that. So close, yet so far. Just as frustrating for everyone. Lol, you're the very first to notice that! Yep, totally meant to do that haha ;) Quite a bit of similarity between River and Aleena I think. I've always wanted to see how Time Lords grow up. I know others have, too. So I thought it would be a nice moment for us to get to see that with Aleena. You called it. Most certainly an issue later. Unfortunately, I think this would have been the same reaction from Lia no matter what time it occurred. Angie just really let her bitterness overrun her life. So sad, yet yes I don't like her, either. Never make characters simply one way. Always make them a mix is my main goal in writing. Not so much telekinesis, it's something that will be explained a bit better later. But yes, most certainly super smart this child. ;) Gets it from her dad. Powers really come from being what new species she is. Think of it what Wanda would have been able to do if she was not so unstable. Though you could call it a bit of Alpha, too. haha Ah, to be young again. It's always nice seeing the world through a child's eyes. :) Being a Time Lord, there's that thirst of knowledge and to develop quickly almost right away. Plus, she gets it from her dad, too. ;) There will be more explanation as time goes on Aleena's insight, but yes, it's not like Wanda's sight. Aleena really has to look into the timelines (the strings) attached to each person to get a good picture of what's to come or has been and such. A Time Child always knows who their parents are. It's just instinct. Plus she's pretty smart, so she put two and two together lol ;) So glad you're enjoying it so far! Cannot wait to hear from you again and see how you're liking the rest of it. Until next time!

Hugs all around! Also, if you're currently going through winter, I hope you're all wishing for spring as hard as I am. lol ;)

~Tinker~


	5. Ch 5: Hooverville

Hello all!

It's been a while hasn't it? I hope that you all good days since the last time! Had a bit of writer's block and started a new job that had me travelling around quite a bit. So, didn't get a chance to write a whole lot. Hope that this chapter is good and was worth the wait. :)

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 5: Hooverville

The first thing Aleena registered as she slowly came back to her senses was the chilly air around her. It was cold. Much colder than she had ever experienced before. At least, while the sun was up. Though it might be just about as cold when the sun went down at night in the desert. But coming from the heat of the late spring in Nevada was a drastic change to suddenly be cold now. She shivered, hugging herself, not just for warmth, but to somehow comfort herself. She had been sitting there for a while now. Just sobbing away silently and trying to bring her hearts back down from their racing speed. She did not even care that it was cold or where she might be. All she wanted was to be back with her daddy. Him, alive and well, giving her his usual warm smile and making pancakes for breakfast like he always did. She even wanted to be back with Lia. Listening to her mother's stories while they sat in the living room, watching television and helping Lia to knit.

"You're going to have to put on that jacket less you want to catch a cold."

Aleena stiffened, slowly looking up to see a woman standing in front of her. She was afraid at first. Afraid of who this woman was and what sort of harm she meant. But staring into the brown eyes of the woman felt strangely calming. Like a familiar presence. She looked the woman up and down, taking in the looks of her to see if maybe she had met the woman before. She had messy blonde hair. Even messier than Aleena's own hair that always seemed to want to part in many different directions on her head. No, this woman's hair looked more like she had not brushed it in a while and it had been blown around by a wild storm. Then there was the tan vest, long white sleeve shirt, sideways cream-coloured skirt, and tight fitted black pants that all looked very worn and torn.

"Again, I really suggest putting on your jacket," the woman said, staring at Aleena with a calm demeanour that she herself could not help but feel calm, too. Slowly, she pulled out her blue jacket from her pack and placed it on. Though not before placing Dwight's broken glasses into her pack. She did feel better having the jacket on. It did not help entirely with the cold. But it was better than what it had been. She looked up, seeing the woman was suddenly sitting on her knees like she was, staring back her with such a relaxed manner. Aleena tilted her head curiously at the woman but was distracted when seeing where they were. It seemed they were sitting under an old brick bridge. Autumn leaves were scattered around where they sat, and she saw a very large park around them in the surrounding area.

"Where are we?" Aleena asked the woman curiously.

"New York City, October 1, 1930," the woman replied smoothly. "You're a very long way from home, Aleena."

"You know my name?" breathed the girl. She knew she should feel frightened by this. But still, there was something just so . . . comforting about the woman. The woman gave her a soft smile, nodding. "Who are you?"

"My name is Bad Wolf. It's very nice to finally meet you."

Aleena frowned, finding this name . . . strange. But who was she to judge a person's name? "It's, um . . . nice to meet you, too." She gazed around again, taking in the smell of the place as her mind wandered around in analyzing where she had found herself. Indeed, the year the woman said did feel right. Something that Aleena had been slowly sensing the more she travelled through time. A sort of . . . 'sixth sense' to the time and space around her. If that even made any sense. She did not know how to describe it, really. But the science fiction books she read were all she had to go by in terms to explain it all. Even to herself.

Getting her mind back on track, she looked at Bad Wolf once more and said, "But who are you really? How do you know me?"

"I am a friend of your parents," Bad Wolf explained quietly. "And no, not your adoptive parents." There only came stunned silence from Aleena as she slowly processed this news, staring at Bad Wolf in awe.

"You know my parents?" she breathed.

"Yes. Though, they don't know much about me depending on which time frame in their lives you're looking at." Bad Wolf smiled gently when seeing the baffled expression on Aleena. "That means we do not always meet in the right order. You'll find that out yourself how strangely the flow of time works when it comes to meeting friends and such."

Aleena nodded, knowing there was probably a lot she still did not know about her powers and such. Though the aspect of meeting her parents might change that. "Can you take me to my parents, then?"

Bad Wolf's expression changed, looking at Aleena in pity. "I'm afraid not."

"But why?"

"For the very same reason your adoptive father just died."

At the mentioning of Dwight, the loss of her father hit her again. Her mind at almost been in denial from it all. In a state of shock, not wanting it to be true. So, the distraction of meeting Bad Wolf and finding herself somewhere new had helped in feeling as though he were still alive and safe. In fact, she knew that in this year he would still be alive and well. Much older than she, still, but not the same man in late adulthood like before. However, the Dwight, the father that she knew . . . was dead. More tears fell down her face, but she quickly wiped them away, not wishing to show weakness to this stranger she just met.

"W-what do you mean by that, though?" she asked Bad Wolf, voice thick with tears and sorrow. Though she did not let any of this show outwardly. "Why can't I meet them now? And . . . And why did my father die? I saw his timeline. It wasn't frayed at all the last time I checked."

"Because time changed. There are many timelines connecting between people. Others are a lot harder to see for they are not the main timeline which a person is meant to follow. If time shifts and changes on them, then the timeline shifts, too. Becoming the new and replacing the old. I'm sure you saw the timeline shifting, you just did not recognize it for the fear you were experiencing at the time. But through time and practice, you'll be able to spot all the timelines connected to people and how to work with them."

"Is . . . Is that something you and my parents can do?"

"Well . . ." Bad Wolf paused, trying to think about that. "It's something more what I and your mother can do. Though, her insight on timelines is much different than yours and mine. Your father, on the other hand, sees time more as a whole than individually per person."

Nodding slowly, Aleena took this information and processed it. Thinking carefully of any more questions she had for Bad Wolf. Her body was still in a state of shock. A buzz from the panic she had felt still echoing through her. It was hard feeling anything at the moment with how numb her body felt. She looked away, taking in the environment around them. She wondered if they were in Central Park. They must be by all the trees around them. A heavy sigh came from Bad Wolf beside her.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could have come to you sooner than this. It must be terribly a lot of information to process. Especially after what you've just witnessed. No child should see death so soon in their lives. Trust me. I know," Bad Wolf mumbled softly. "I would even give you a hug and all, but I'm afraid you'd just pass right through me."

"What?" Aleena blinked, staring at the woman carefully. She looked perfectly solid and there. So why would . . . The girl lifted a hand and went to touch Bad Wolf. But just as the blonde said, she could not touch her. It was like she was a ghost or something. Aleena's hand passed right through her as though Bad Wolf were nothing but thin air. She pulled her hand back and stared at the woman curiously. "What are you? Are my parents like you? Will I be like that one day?"

Bad Wolf smiled lightly in humour. "No, no. See, I'm nothing more than a projection of a state of consciousness from a pocket universe which hovers around the outside of this universe." Upon the child's baffled blink, Bad Wolf chuckled. "In other words, I'm a 'ghost'. I'm not even alive any more. Just a state of being. Something which only your mother could ever see. And now, you as well."

"Oh." Aleena nodded, again processing this and keeping that in her mind. Something else she would have to learn about. She then frowned. "But my father can't see you?"

"No one else besides your mother and you. For you see, we three are a piece of the Time Vortex. The universe's most powerful energy that connects all of time and space. It's what gives you your powers. All beings with the Time Vortex inside them are connected. Like a family. We can communicate with each other and help each other in our gifts." Bad Wolf gave another kind smile. "I'm sure you noticed how calm you felt after I arrived."

"That was you? Can I do that, too?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm . . . much different than you and your mother. I'm more TARDIS than I am anything else."

"What's a 'TARDIS'?"

"It's the name of the ship your mother and father use to travel through time and space. Remember the blue box you saw? That's the TARDIS. She's sort of your grandmother." Seeing the blank stare from Aleena, Bad Wolf laughed lightly. "You know . . . I suppose this is a lot to take in. Why don't we get you somewhere more comfortable to get some rest? I can always explain all of this to you once you've gotten some sleep. Night should be settling in soon, anyway."

Aleena nodded slowly. She did not notice how drained she felt until that moment. And really, all she did feel like doing was sleeping. Looking up, she was surprised to see Bad Wolf was already standing, ready for her to get up as well. Gradually, Aleena got up to her feet and tightened the pack on her back. Before long, she found herself following along beside Bad Wolf, going through the walkways of Central Park. She always wondered what New York City was like. Though not in the year 1930. Dwight always talked about . . . Again, she winced, feeling her hearts weep and the images of her father's body lying on the floor. She wondered how long that image would haunt her. Most likely for the rest of her life.

"It'll be all right you know," came the soft voice from Bad Wolf. Aleena looked to the woman, seeing how the blonde watched her with such observing eyes.

"But how will it be? My father is dead. My mother left me because I'm a freak. And I can't even go to my real parents because you said the consequences in time might be so great they'll die. I have nowhere else to go," Aleena gusted out in a breath, feeling at a loss of what to do.

"Well, that's why I'm taking you here," Bad Wolf replied smoothly. They stopped just the end of the walkway, staring at the sight before them. There were hundreds of tiny houses scattered about in front of them. Or rather shacks made out of whatever a person could find and place together to make a shelter to sleep in. Some where seen made out of tin scrap while others were nothing more than sticks and cloth strung together. There was a haze of smoke around the area as many had fires going. Either to help keep the chill of early autumn away, or to cook a meal to eat. Hundreds of people were seen milling around the fires or shacks, all wearing tattered clothing that appeared to be something which they have worn for days on end. Aleena felt sorry for them all. But then she had to remind herself that she was just like them now. Homeless and with no where to go.

"Welcome to Hooverville," said Bad Wolf. "The place a person goes when they've got nowhere else to go."

"These are one of the shanty towns from the Great Depression, right?" Aleena questioned curiously, trying to make certain her information was correct.

"Correct." Bad Wolf turned to her, smiling warmly. "You'll find people here will be much friendlier to you than what you have encountered before. Outcasts have a way of being like that. They're always more accepting than the majority of people. For the most part." Aleena could only nod, not knowing what to say. Everything still felt so numb to her. Again, Bad Wolf gave her a look of pity and sympathy. "Look . . . I know this is probably very difficult for you right now. But I promise, after a night's sleep, I'll explain everything to you tomorrow. Anything you want to know, I'll tell you. I'll even help you with your powers if you want."

"No," Aleena said firmly, eyes growing hard as she stared at her feet. "My powers are what got me into this mess. Are what . . . what made time change so it killed my father. I'm never using my powers ever again." She stomped away from Bad Wolf before the woman could say anything. All the young girl wanted to do was to get into this shanty town and find a place to sleep. Forgetting about all her troubles and pretending that this was all a nightmare.

XxXxXxXx

"Yo! Aleena! Wake up already! We're wastin' time here."

Aleena yawned as she sat up after receiving a kick to the side. She rubbed at her eyes, blinking at the group of kids poked their heads through the tent entrance and stared at her. The one who had spoken was Marvin, the oldest of the group at the rip age of eleven, with a very lanky body, mousy-brown hair that was slick to the side, a small cap on his head, and a dirty boy's suit jacket over his white button up shirt. Next to him was Philip. He was about as tall as Marvin but was younger by a year. He had on a pair of wired round glasses which had tap in the centre from being broken, large cap man's on his head with his blonde hair tucked neatly into it, and had a dirty gray button up shirt with braces over his shoulders keeping up his brown pants. Then lastly was Charlie, the youngest of the group. He was only six, but rather scrappy in personality. He wore a cap that barely stayed above his eyes, his brown hair was about the same always hanging around his eyes, and also a gray buttoned shirt that was always tucked in crookedly into his pants.

"I'm up. I'm up," Aleena yawned, bouncing up from the ragged blankets that she slept on. She gave a stretch once they were outside of her small tent before smiling at the boys. "So, what job are we aiming for today?"

"I hear the meat factory might let a few new kids a shot at packin' up them meats," Marvin said, giving a shrug while he walked with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. "Either that or we go back to Mister Diggs and see if he'll let us sell a couple of them papers on the streets again."

Aleena grabbed her large cap from off the ground and placed it on. She tucked in her hair into the cap, making certain none of it stuck out. It was never good for her to be caught with long hair while working with the boys. Hard jobs always paid the most, but the employers never wanted to hire girls. It was easy blending in though as adults could never tell a girl from a boy when everyone was dressed alike. She remembered when the boys first made fun of her for not wearing dresses like a lot of the other girls did. But they quickly shut up when she asked them how would they like to wake up one day in a dress and not ever be able to take it off. It was funny seeing the look on their faces. Besides, the boys clothes of a brown buttoned shirt, braces over her shoulders and black pants with matching boots were ten times more comfortable than a silly dress ever could be. Especially the large navy-blue boys jacket she had managed to find. It was the most comfortable thing of all, keeping her nice and warm. All her other clothes had been stored away in her backpack, hidden around the blankets in the tent she slept in. She made certain not to let people see these after the first day. Best not let them see clothes from their future a couple of decades from now. Like Bad Wolf said, the past could always be in the future, but the future could never be in the past.

"So, how's your arm, Philip?" Aleena asked while they moved amongst the people of Hooverville. All whom were also waking up for the new morning of work to be done. Whether that work involved within the small shanty community, or outside to earn some more money for a decent night's meal, was still to be seen. This was how most of things worked in Hooverville. Everyone took each day one step at the time and tried to make the best of it. It was the only thing people of the shanty town had control over in their lives anymore, the ability to see how each day would go for them.

"F-fine, I g-g-guess," Philip replied, rubbing at the bandage that was wrapped around his arm. "C-co-ould have been w-w-worse." Aleena grabbed his arm, peaking at the large cut through the bandages.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fine. I'm just glad I was able to get a few good clean bandages for you. God knows how hard those are to come by," Aleena said to him, smiling lightly at him after patting his arm and letting it go.

"You know, Philip, you should have told me that thing old Burns made you carry was too heavy for ya," Marvin said, grinning with a sly smirk. "I could have helped carry it. In fact, I bet I could've carried it all by myself the way I'm gettin'. I think I'll even beat Aleena one day at wrestlin'." He flexed his arms, showing off his 'muscles.' He let out a 'oof' when Aleena punched him playfully in the gut.

"Nope, still squishy to me!" she laughed along with Philip. She grinned at Charlie, seeing him smiling lightly. "What do you say, Charlie. Think Marvin has what it takes to go against me yet?" The boy smiled and shook his head, making Marvin let out a huff while Philip laughed even more. Charlie was always the quiet one of the bunch. He never talked, but they all knew him so well that they never really pushed him to talk. They were fine communicating just with gestures and such.

"Good morning, children!" came the merry exclamation from an elderly woman. She smiled at the four of them as they walked around the corner towards her small shack. She had a plate of warm porridge read for them at a makeshift table while she sat by the fire in her chair.

"Morning, Mrs. Betty!" they all said in greeting. Mrs. Betty (though that wasn't really her name it was just what she liked them to call her) was the resident caretaker of orphans in the area. There used to be more, but they had all left over time. Now there was just the four left in the shanty town. They loved Mrs. Betty every day for being so kind to them all. She would always make certain they had a place to stay, blankets to sleep with, and a morning meal to eat. Though Aleena never had grandparents before, she truly liked to consider Mrs. Betty a grandmother.

Aleena gazed around at the boys and Mrs. Betty as they all chatted away. Truthfully, though she had been living with them all in Hooverville for a month now, it still felt so surreal to her. She never would have thought anyone would like her enough to actually wish to talk with her and be considered a 'friend.' Sure, only Mrs. Betty had welcomed her with open arms on the first night, but the boys soon grew to like Aleena just as much after only three days of working together. Especially since she could pull a lot of weight around and make their jobs much easier. She really liked them as well. They were so fun to talk with and sometimes wrestle in the mud. It was like she were finally a normal child. She almost never wanted to leave. It was just as Bad Wolf had said. Outcasts really were more welcoming. Especially these boys as Marvin was from New Jersey, Philip from Kansas, and Charlie had lived in New York all his life. Each one of them a runaway that found themselves here in Hooverville. None of them really said why they ended up in the shanty town. Mostly because it was an unspoken thing between them all to not talk about the past. Keep focusing on the future is what Marvin always said.

But, of course, as Bad Wolf had told her, this was only temporary. Until Aleena decided on where she wanted to go next, that is. However, even though Bad Wolf kept trying to tell her there were other places out there she could be a part of, Aleena felt she should just live here and never bother going anywhere else. Going somewhere else meant using her powers, and she never wanted to be that sort of freak again. Her powers only ever caused trouble. Nothing good came from them. Though this did not mean that she could keep from using _all_ her gifts. The only thing she had no control over was her sight of people's strings and the stars always floating around the place. In fact, speaking of stars . . .

Aleena glanced over, seeing the white star hovering around her as always. This particular star showed up the night she arrived here. She did not think about it at first as it just sort of sung a gentle tune that helped her through the night. The nightmares of Dwight's death plaguing her for quite some time. But the star always seemed to help, singing her to sleep every night. That was just it, though. Stars never really stuck around people unless they were connected through a relationship of some kind. Such as family, friends, or loved ones. Did that mean this star somehow knew her? She had wondered for a while if maybe it was Dwight as a star, but the star never showed her any images of a past life as all other stars always would. It only communicated with her by singing light tunes, or bumping into her playfully, or nudging her when trying to get her to behave and such. Just like it had done when she had stolen candy with Marvin. Not something she was proud of doing. It was just . . . Marvin said how people should be more sharing and caring, and that they deserved to have those sweets with all the work they put into things. And she did want to fit in better with her friends. But the disappointment on Solomon's face (the appointed leader of the shanty town) and the way the white star just hovered there next to the man as he told them off . . . well, she was not going to steal again. That was for certain.

"All right. Time to get to work," Marvin announced after he finished his meal, jumping up from the ground where he had sat earlier. Everyone got up as well, glad to get to it. Every moment was a waste of time that could have been spent getting money. At least, that was how they felt with their growling bellies.

"You kids be careful now," Mrs. Betty said kindly, waving them off for the day. They all waved goodbye as well, glad to get back to her as soon as possible.

Before long, they were making their way through the busy streets of New York. Cars beeped at them and a few horses neighed here and there as they crossed the streets. People bumped into them, not even paying them any mind at all as though they were just trash to go around. Cops eyed them up carefully, which only made them know that they were seen as possible thieves. It did not matter, though. They just wanted to get to work and earn a decent pay for the day so that they might eat for the night.

"Yeah, well, the same goes for your mother!" Marvin yelled after they had been told to leave by another factory. Marvin adjusted his jacket before looking back at the group standing on the sidewalk. Each one of them had a look of disappointment on their faces. The older boy rubbed at the back of his head, appearing more sheepish and guilty. "Look, I'm sorry, guys. I thought maybe they'd might change their minds or somethin'. I was just hopin' for more pay for us."

"Th-th-that's okay, Marvin," Philip said, as he and the other two nodded in understanding. "We don't like going t-t-to-to Digg's place, ei-either." He pushed up his glasses that were falling down his nose, looking down as he nervously shifted on the spot. All felt the same way.

Mister Diggs was not a kind man. He was rather heartless and cruel to the kids who he hired for his papers. Especially because the only kids he did hire were orphans. Every single one of them an orphan from somewhere or another that just needed some money to get through the day. Either for money to keep moving on to where they were running away to, or for simply a meal later that night like the four of them were doing. Aleena never liked the man. He just felt . . . wrong. His emotions, his timeline, the stars that hovered around him, everything just made the hair in the back of her neck stand up. Never had she met a person like him. Frankly, she hoped would never meet someone like Diggs ever again.

"Come on," Aleena sighed, turning sourly down the sidewalk. "We might as well get this over with. Let's just hope this time we're not sent to go off on one of his 'deliveries'." The boys all muttered (well Charlie just nodded) as they trudged along beside Aleena off into the more shady part of town. Where the streets were much dirtier and covered in trash.

"I mean, it's not all that bad. We could be worse off," Marvin spoke up, strolling casually down the way with his hands in his pockets like he always did.

"Oh, yeah, completely worse off. You know, _not_ making deliveries for the Mafia. That would be lovely," Aleena countered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"We're not working for them crime bosses," Marvin scoffed.

"Yeah, but Diggs is," Philip interjected, pushing his glasses up nervously. "I-I-I heard him talking wi-wi-with his b-boss the other day. They were t-t-talking about things."

"What kind of things?" Marvin questioned skeptically. Charlie tugged on Marvin's sleeve, getting the older boy's attention. Charlie made a gun with his fingers to his head and made a small sound as if firing off before making a face, his tongue hanging out in show of what he meant. "Yeah, I getcha, Charlie. But at least we're just delivery boys. Ain't nothin' we're getting into that'll mess us up like that."

"You're stupid for thinking deliveries don't count as working for the Mafia," Aleena sighed. She glanced over, seeing how the boys looked at her with frowns. She smiled back sheepishly. "Sorry, I was being rude again, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, well, your smart mouth is what makes bein' around you fun," Marvin laughed, shrugging it off like her rudeness was nothing. "Though it might also get us all killed one day if you don't learn to shut it!" He laughed as he pushed her lightly in humor. They all laughed even more after Aleena grabbed him around the shoulders and gave him a nuggie.

Finally, they made it into the small hideaway place for Mister Diggs' newspaper delivery. It was different than most other printing places. This one was much more low-key and did not offer to many around town. Mostly he had them standing on corners in the neighborhood. Spots where his 'special clients' would come over and pick up a paper from them. Other times though, when the 'special print' came out of the press, he would have one or two of them delivery a paper directly to someone's home. Well, they could call it a home. It was more of a hideout in most cases. Always, at the end of the day, no matter how much work they did with all of this, he never gave them much in return. 'Slave wages' is what Aleena knew Solomon would call it. But being a kid worker in the middle of the Depression of the 1930s never does pay enough.

Marvin pushed aside the traps for the entrance to the place, letting their eyes adjust to the dark place within. Hay scattered around the floor besides the crates of papers and machinery for printing. To the far side of the warehouse was a makeshift office Diggs had made for himself. They could see him directing kids around the place, yelling at them to work faster and such. Some worked the machines that printed on the papers while others rolled up the stuff that came off the pressed. Every so often they saw a kid packing up a large mound of rolled up papers into a sack and then would be off to stand on the streets to sell them.

"Yo, Mister Diggs!" Marvin yelled over the loud sound of the presses. "We're here to work." The man turned to them after yelling for a few boys to get to opening some of the crates. Diggs was a rather portly man with a very small neck and slight double chin. With dark hair that was fluffed up, it always made his head weirdly shaped. It also did not help that he had a sort of baby face to him as well. The way he always wore dark suits seemed to make him look as though he were trying to make up for the fact that his face made him look nothing like a man in his thirties.

"You're too late, kid. I've already met my quota of labor work for the day," Diggs sneered at them, turning to go into his office.

"Ah, come on! I know you're always desperate for help!" Marvin complained, going over to the man to stop him. "Look, we'll work for less today. Say fifty cents for the day, huh?" The man smirked, crossing his arms smugly.

"Twenty cents and you can do double the work," he said before moving away and going into his office, not even letting Marvin a chance to protest to the measly wages. Aleena felt her face heat up in irritation for how the man treated them all. But she held her tongue like she always did. She did not want to cause trouble for her friends.

"Asshole," she could not help but mutter under her breath. The boys all sort of hummed in agreement before they scattered to get to work. She went to help Philip carry around crates of equipment for the printing press while Marvin and Charlie began getting new paper into the machine.

It started out as a normal day's work. They printed out quite a bit of so-called 'papers' for Diggs that would be for the next week to come. Marvin went out onto the streets while Charlie kept up in sending paper into the printing press. Aleena worked on the gears and bolts of the machine, making certain to keep it together and properly working. It was such an old piece of machinery. Probably bought off the black market knowing how cheap Diggs was. So, it came as no surprise to her when a bolt came loose from the machine and rolled away across the floor. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she quickly went after it. The small bolt rolled right down into a crack in the wooden floor of the warehouse. She got down onto her knees, trying to see how she could get it out. It was then the harsh mutterings coming from the office that caught Aleena's attention.

"Look, if I keep sending you kids, the coppers are gonna get suspicious," she heard Diggs muttering sharply. She glanced up, seeing his silhouette through the foggy glass pacing around. Clearly he was holding the phone up to his ear and speaking with someone. "I ain't gonna go to the big house just for . . . How much? . . . Yeah, suppose that is a fair price. Could even bribe a few coppers around with . . . Alright, alright. You got yourself a deal. Just be glad that nobody cares when an orphan goes missing, or else you'd have to find your supply elsewhere." He had hung up his phone and was out of the office before Aleena even had a chance to process what she had overheard. As she watched Diggs walk out of his office to go over to some of the boys by the printing press, a loud crash came from over the way.

"You complete oaf!" shouted Diggs in rage as he stomped over to Philip, who had dropped a large box. Whatever had been inside must had been fragile for Aleena could hear the crunching when Diggs inspected the contents within. He glared at Philip heatedly. "That's gonna cost you, boy."

"I-I-I-I-I'm-m-m-m—," Philip began to say, shaking from head to toe. Diggs just scoffed, curling his lip at the boy.

"You're just as stupid as you look," the man spat at Philip. He laughed as Philip tried talking again to apologize. "What's the matter? Your st-st-stupid brain can't th-th-think straight?"

"Leave him alone!" cried Aleena as she got up from where she was and stomped over to them. She placed herself between Philip and Diggs, puffing herself up to look bigger. "He isn't stupid! He didn't mean to drop your dumb parts. He's just doing his damn job!"

Diggs went to retort nastily, but he then smiled snidely. "All right. I got a job for you then to make up for the parts you broke." He went to his office before coming back with a brown package wrapped with white string in hand. He thrust the package into Philips hands. "Take this to Lantern Circle, number four is the place you're looking for. Be quick about it." He gave Philip a push to the entrance, making Aleena's friend stumble outside before she even had a chance to protest to this. Before she even had a chance to let Diggs have a piece of her mind.

She watched as Diggs went back into his office, slamming the door before she could ask him where exactly he had sent Philip. Was this another one of those 'special deliveries' of his? It appeared exactly that, but something felt . . . off about it.

"Oh, man. Poor kid," she heard a boy mutter somewhere nearby. She looked over, seeing two boys looking towards where Philip had gone.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked them curiously.

"Don't mind him. He's just being paranoid," said the other boy, going back to work. The one boy who spoke, though, seemed anxious with his brows furrowed heavily.

"I'm not being paranoid. You know what happened to Samuel, that fella with the straw hat. Never saw him again after he went to that place," countered the boy. "Then there was Dale and Anthony before that."

"They were runaways. They just ran back home," scoffed the other.

"What do you guys mean?" Aleena asked curiously as a bit of dread slowly creeping through her.

"Just ignore him," sighed the one boy as he moved away to continue working. Aleena scooted up to the boy who had spoken first, seeing how anxious he appeared. Like he knew something more than he was letting on.

"What place did Diggs send him? Is this a normal thing that happens?" questioned Aleena, pushing for answers.

The boy glanced around before leaning in close to whisper, "It's always the same place, same time of once a month, and always another kid old Diggs gets mad at or doesn't like. Then, once they leave, we don't ever see them again from the delivery."

Aleena raised a brow, finding this almost just paranoia of some kind from this boy. It could be like the other one said. Kids came and went all the time around here. They could have just happened to leave the night after they finished deliveries. But . . . something in her gut told her otherwise. Something was off, like a bad taste in her mouth. "Do you know where this place is?"

"Yeah." He glanced around nervously again as the color in his face slowly drained. He shivered as though remembering a horrid memory. "I've been there once. Got curious, see. Was wondering what happened to Samuel. It's this big old house, and you'd think it'd be abandoned by the looks of it outside. But it isn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I ran into _her_. I was peaking into the window when I smelled something really nice. I don't know what came over me, but it just . . . smelled so nice. Next thing I know, I was halfway up the steps, about to step into the house with this old hag opening the door for me and grinning with a mouth like nothing I've seen before. But then this cat came out of nowhere and she freaked, slamming the door before either I or the cat could get inside. Ran like hell the moment I realized what the hell had just happened."

Aleena frowned, pondering over this. That sounded bizarre. Like some made-up story. But . . . still her gut told her something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Like . . . Philip was in danger. "Can you take me to this house?" she asked the boy.

His eyes widened dramatically. "Hell, no, I ain't going back there! Not even if you paid me five bucks!"

He left her quickly, leaving her to stand there. She pondered over everything she learned, thinking what she should do from there. Half of her wanted to proceed from there and figure out what this all meant, but the other half wanted to stay quiet about it all and just continue working. It was probably her just being paranoid like that boy. That was all. Like anything strange really happened in 1930. She would know about it from the history books . . . Right?

The white star caught her attention. It kept zooming around her head, trying to get her to look at it. Once she did, it went out the traps that covered the entrance, only to come right back in. Almost as saying for her to follow Philip. Did it feel as though something were wrong as well? She glanced over, seeing a discarded bag from selling papers. She quickly scooped it up and placed some papers into the bag before exiting the place in a hurry. It was best she look as though she were selling something. Otherwise, people around this area would get suspicious and might to do something to her. Looking around once she was outside, she saw the string of Philips floating from the warehouse down the sidewalk to where he had gone. For once, she was glad she had these strange gifts of hers, and that people's strings always lingered around for a while from where a person had been previously. Or else she would have gotten completely lost in this vast city.

"So, I'm guessing you've got a bad feeling, too?" she asked the white star absently as it hovered around the area, seeming to be checking it out. The star zoomed alongside her for a moment, giving a tune in agreement before speeding off once more. "Yeah, I figured as much."

Soon, she made it to the place. Lantern Circle, number four. Just as that one boy had said, it looked completely abandoned. It was a two-story home, with dully colored brown paint on the sides of the home and with a black tiled roof. Everything was dark and worn about it. It even looked as though there were holes on the roof. But the whole thing . . . just looked so staged. From the cobwebs to the broken windows, it just seemed off. The star came up beside her, hovering there for a moment before zooming off to check out the house. When it came back, it gave a wary tune. Something was so wrong about the house that even the star seemed to want her to turn around and leave.

"I can't leave now. What if Philip is in danger?" she countered. Another tune was given. Aleena sighed. "I don't even know what you're trying to tell me. So . . . I'm just going to pretend you're agreeing with me." She walked towards the house, ignoring the disgruntled note from the star.

She edged around the side of the house carefully, stepping over the broken iron fence as she sneaked into the overgrown yard. She edged in between the house and the other, much more realistic, broken down home next to it. All homes like this in New York were tightly built together. But luckily at least this one had some space between for her to sneak around back. When she glanced up towards the upper story, she saw just one window on the whole side of the house. A very small one, with strange, small red cones on either side of the window sill. That was . . . strange. She wondered what those cones were for. They did not really looked as though they belonged here. In fact, she peaked around towards the front again, seeing similar cones on all window ledges. Seeing the windows in the back confirmed it after she managed to get into the backyard. All windows had these cones on them. But what for?

She frowned as she stood in the tall grass in the backyard, crossing her arms as she tried to think of what to do next. Obviously, she could not go through the front door. That would just be stupid since she had _no_ idea what might be waiting for her on the other side. That mysterious old woman would be for one thing. Philip was obviously already inside since she never ran into him on the way here. So . . . How could she get in to save him? Finally, the large vines growing on the side of the house caught her attention. Walking over to them, she gave them a tug to see how strong they would be to get up into the small window above. They were connected to a trellis that helped the vines grow all the way up the house. Before she had time to doubt whether or not this was a good idea, she was already climbing up the vines.

Soon, she was near the window, peaking inside. On the other side of the window, she could see what appeared to be a small bathroom of sorts. It had a large old tub inside and a sort of toilet though it was cracked and broken. Gently, she touched the window, wondering how she could get it open. But it easily opened for her upon the slightest touch. It was not even locked? Perhaps whoever lived inside was not afraid of people breaking into their home. Well, obviously no one came around this neighborhood anyway. She probably would not bother to lock anything up, either.

The wooden floor creaked under her feet the moment she dropped down from the window. She froze, holding her breath in fear that she had been heard. But after a few minutes when nothing came bursting through the door at her, she relaxed enough to tentatively move forward. Just as she was about to open the door, the white star zoom through the wood at her face. She jumped but held back the startled yelp that had almost blurted out. She glared at the star crossly and waved a stern finger at it as it zoomed around her head before going right back through the door. Damn thing. Almost gave her a bleepin' heart attack. Or, well, would that be 'hearts attack' for her? Nah, heart attack sounded better. Anyway, back to business.

She slowly crept out of the door, peaking around to make certain the coast was clear for her. Nothing but dark, dusty hallways were seen. With a set of stairs leading down towards the lower floor. She could hear things shifting around down there and felt the very warm temperature coming from below. There was also a very weird smell in the air. Her nose immediately crinkled as she took a whiff. It smelled strongly of dead fish. Was someone cooking fish down in the kitchen? She rubbed at her nose, wishing to not have to breathe it in. But she knew the best thing for her to do was keep breathing it through her nose to adjust to the smell. It would go unnoticed by her nose eventually once it got used to it. She started to go towards the stairs when the star zoomed around her head, whizzing about to get her attention. She looked at it, wondering why it was still acting so funny when it nudged at her to go back towards the end of the hall. Deciding it was trying to show her something, she followed after it as quiet as she could, making certain to step around any floorboards that might cause noise. The star hovered right outside a red-stained door that had cracks in coming from around the edges of the door frame. Very slowly, she opened the door as the star used some of its light for her to look in. Her eyes-widened when she saw clothes. Piles and piles of kids' shoes and clothing all scattered throughout the place. Closest to the door, she saw a straw hat laying on top of a large pile of coats. Oh . . . god. What was happening here? She could hardly even wrap her mind around what she was seeing. She grabbed the straw hat for evidence before swiftly closing the door.

Stuffing the hat into one of her rather larger pockets, she only wanted to hurry out of this place and possibly come back with some help. But who would help her? She stopped just outside the bathroom door, taking a deep breath to calm herself and get her thoughts together. Okay, so . . . help might not be an option. Most likely no one would even believe her. Even if she did bring the straw hat to the others as evidence from here. And even if she did manage to get help, Philip might be in trouble by then. He might be in trouble _now_. She glanced towards the stairs, feeling her hearts beating fast. She felt scared. Frightened in the idea of doing something so dangerous. Though knowing that a friend of hers was in trouble . . . she could not just sit idly by and let him suffer whatever the same fate those other children had. So, with this in mind—though she still felt completely terrified—she kept this thought for her wits and started for the stairs.

At that moment, something shifted at the bottom of the stairs. A shadow beginning to creep right towards Aleena as she stood there frozen in terror.

XxXxXxXx

Well, that's the end of this chapter. Hope it was worth the wait! Again, sorry for it having been so long since the last update. Hopefully the next one can come sooner, but with how my new job is that might not be possible. :( So sorry. But if this chapter was indeed worth the long wait, please let me know in a review. Just to let me know that I'm still doing good in writing the chapters. If I'm not, I would like to know to do better for you guys in the next one to come. :)

Hope you all are having a great day/night! I apologize for not doing any replies to reviews in this chapter. Truthfully, I really wanted to get this chapter out quickly to make up in it being so long since the last. Replies tend to take me a while to do. Sorry about that. :( Hope you all can forgive me!

Until next time my lovelies!

~Tinker~


	6. Ch 6: The Approaching Storm

Howdy, readers!

Getting in the groove of things again, so hopefully I get a decent schedule going on for updating stories now. :) Hope that all of you days have been groovy! Would love to hear all about how life has been going for you all.

Well, onto the new chapter!

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 6: The Approaching Storm

Aleena remained as still as possible, holding her breath as she gripped the hand railing at the top of the stairs. She shook from head to toe, terrified of what the shadow was, her heart racing all the way. But as the shadow came up the stairs, the light of the window showed her it was Philip. She let out a small gasp but made certain to not say anything. Something did not feel right because she saw that look in his eyes. Like he was in some kind of trance or something. She remembered how those in a trance had been described from her favourite book. Philip looked just like that, controlled by IT, the Black Thing. She even waved in front of his face as he stood there blankly at the top of the stairs to make certain. He did not even blink, just walked right by her and went into a cupboard of sorts. He came back out again with an arm full of brown bags that appeared to be baking flour.

She watched him head back downstairs and decided to walk close behind him, allowing his footsteps to mask the sound of her own. He walked around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, going into the kitchen. She edged along the wall, peaking around the archway. Inside, she saw a white table, with chairs all around it. An old iron stove that was burning with an extremely hot fire within. Cupboards all around with pots and pans hanging on racks. By the stove was an old woman, humming away as she stirred contents within a very, very large pot. Aleena stared at her, seeing how wrinkly and pale her skin was. She could even see all the blue veins along the woman's skin. The woman's dark hair was a mess, looking as though it had not been washed in months. The long nails on her hands looked about the same. She had a shawl wrapped around her that had so many holes in it Aleena very much doubted it kept the woman warm at all. The dress the old woman wore was just as bad, tattered around the bottom and hanging off one of the woman's boney shoulders.

"Just put the bags on the table, deary," the woman told Philip in a rasping voice. Aleena watched as Philip did as he was told before sitting down at the table. He sat there in a daze, just rocking slightly back and forth. Was there any way she could get in there and drag him out the front door? It was just right there. It did not even look locked. Aleena knew she could easily get them both outside. Just as long as he did not fight her as she dragged him outside. As she was contemplating this, the old woman finally turned, allowing her to see the woman's face. Aleena almost let out a gasp in surprise from the sight of her.

The woman's eyes were the first thing Aleena noticed. They were like snake eyes, bright yellow and slitted. Then there was her face which had scales mixed in with normal looking human skin. When she smiled at Philip, Aleena saw the woman's rows and rows of sharp teeth. Everything about this woman just screamed non-human. What was she?

"Eat up! Eat up, my dear. We have to get you nice and ready for tomorrow's feast," the woman said in glee, smiling away as Philip started to mechanically eat what was in front of him. Which Aleena just now noticed was a whole lot of sweets, from candies to cakes. The woman grinned from ear to ear, showing off her razor teeth as she stared at Philip hungrily. Aleena's eyes widened in alarm, realizing what this woman had planned for Philip. It was just like the story of Hansel and Gretel. Oh, god. She was going to eat him!

Aleena shook even more from head to toe, feeling her breathing speed up along with her hearts. Her mind was in a jumble, unable to think of what to do. She must have made a noise in her panicked state for the old woman suddenly looked up in a flash right at her. The woman's grin grew even wider still with a gleam coming to her eyes.

"Well, well, well. We have a guest!" the old woman said in delight, waving her arms out as she slowly stalked towards Aleena. "Come in, come in, my child! Don't be shy! There's plenty of food here for two. My, I say I've been quite famished lately. I won't mind a second helping at all." Her eyes grew sinister as she stared Aleena down. The smell of fish grew even stronger now, hitting Aleena with a force. "Now, tell me, how did you get in here?" Aleena felt too scared to talk as she stood there shaking. Fearing of what this woman was going to do, she felt like running away in a flight response. But seeing Philip there, stuffing his face with food that she knew would make him sick, she gulped and straightened her posture the best she could.

"W-what are you doing to my friend?" Aleena questioned, her voice coming out in a wavering fright. The old woman blinked, smirking as she now stared at the girl before her in with a wicked spark in her yellow, snake eyes.

"Hmm, interesting. No child has ever been able to resist me," she said in all but a purr.

"What are you doing to Philip!" Aleena shouted, trying to let her fright turn into anger for her friend's life.

"The same thing that I'll do to you," the woman hissed, going to grab for Aleena. She jumped back before the woman could get her, running away as the flight response in her took over. Her mind was so panicked that she did not even think to simply run to the front door. Which would have been the smart thing to do. Instead, in her panicked state, she ran down the hall from the stairs and into the large living room of the house. There was a large window leading to outside, right to where the main street was. When realizing where she had placed herself, she knew there was no way of getting back to the front door as the woman could be heard running right towards her. Only one way out now.

She managed to throw the window open and was just about to climb out when the woman grabbed her from behind. Aleena held on tight to the window sill, fighting to get out of the woman's grasp.

"Let me go!" she screamed, kicking her feet out to get the woman to let her go.

"I'm not having some child ruin a good thing I have here!" the woman shrieked, yanking Aleena to come back into the house. Fear pumped through the girl's veins and she closed her eyes tightly as all she wanted to do was get away. The woman let out a sudden shriek as Aleena saw a white light flash from her closed eyelids. She did not bother to find out what happened. All she did was pull herself up the tall window, getting at least one foot over the ledge. She was yanked back again by the arm as the woman grabbed her, hissing loudly. "I'll teach you a thing or two!"

It was sheer luck that got Aleena out of that situation. For at that very moment, a few cats let out a meow as they trotted over into the front yard. The smell of fish enticing them to come to the house. Even more were seen coming out of different alleyways towards the home. The woman let out a fearful shriek, all but pushing Aleena out of the window before slamming the glass closed. Aleena let out a grunt as she landed on the cold ground, looking back to see the cones on the side of the house lit up in a glow. The cats around the yard hissed, bolting away as though the cones had scared them. She did the same, running as fast as she could away from that place. Not even daring to look back in case the woman might start coming after her.

XxXxXxXx

Aleena panted as she was bent over with her hands on her knees to steady herself. She was currently by the edge of Central Park, ready to go into through the woods that would lead her to Hooverville. The sun was starting to go down, and she was certain by now Charlie and Marvin would be back in the town. They never stayed out late past dark on Solomon's orders on a count of all those people who had gone missing recently. First adults, and now children, too. She looked over her shoulder as she made her way through the woods, still shaking from the experience she just had. The fear of that woman suddenly coming out of the woods and grabbing her made Aleena speed up in her pace to get back into the shanty town and into safety. Soon, the shacks of people's homes appeared, bringing some of Aleena's fears down.

"There you are! About time!" she heard the voice of Marvin. She looked over, seeing him and Charlie slowly stroll over to her. "We got some bread and meat to eat tonight. Where's Philip? I'm stravin' and if he doesn't show up soon I'm gonna start cookin' without 'im." Aleena just stood there, in a daze of everything that had just happened. It felt so strange to be back somewhere that was perfectly normal after what she had just faced. How could all these people act like everything was fine when there were monsters living right under their noses in this very city? She was startled slightly when she felt something tugging on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Charlie staring at her in concern. Swallowing heavily, she got down and gave him a tight hug, needing someone there to reassure her of some normality. She felt him patting her on the back as though doing just that, trying to let her know he was there for her.

"Hey . . . Aleena, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost," she heard Marvin say. She pulled away from hugging Charlie, looking back at Marvin with haunted eyes. He frowned as he stared at her, knowing something must have happened. "Where's Philip? What happened?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Aleena breathed.

"Try us," Marvin replied with a shrug.

So, Aleena recounted everything that happened. What she had learned from the boy back in the printing warehouse. Where she had gone. What she had seen. What was currently happening to poor Philip. Everything. She even brought out Samuel's straw hat in proof of her story. Marvin looked horrified while Charlie appeared to listen very intently to everything she said, even nodding his head every so often. They sat in silence for a moment while sitting inside of Aleena's very small tent. The night outside had settled and their stomachs were cramping from hunger. But none of them felt rather hungry now.

"I can't believe it," Marvin finally muttered. "Poor Samuel. That kid didn't deserve that." He growled, hitting his fist into his hand. "Damn that Diggs! He's been usin' us for food this whole time?!"

"And all for money, too," Aleena whispered quietly. She felt even more sick about that. How could anyone do something like that? All for greed? She looked to Marvin then. "What are we going to do about Philip? We can't just leave him there."

"What can we do?" Marvin said, shaking his head in regret. "It's not like anyone is goin' to believe us? Besides . . . how can we fight against somethin' like that? Philip . . . might even be . . . " They sat in silence again, feeling defeated already. Just then, Aleena looked up from where she had been staring sadly at her knees, seeing the way Charlie stared at her. A heavy frown was set on his face. Aleena gazed at him, seeing the resolve on his face. Slowly, her fear trickled away, replaced by a bold feeling.

"You're right, Charlie. We can't leave him behind," she nodded, looking at Marvin now. "We have to go back there and save him. No matter what."

"Yeah? And do what, huh?" Marvin countered sternly, frowning at the two of them. "From the sounds of it, that lady has some kind of way to control us. Even that, but how are we supposed to fight a witch?"

"I don't think she's a witch," Aleena mumbled.

"Whatever you wanna call her, she ain't human, that's for sure," Marvin grumbled, shaking his head as he lifted the cap off his head and rubbed a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I'll think of somethin' tomorrow. You said that's when she was plannin' to . . . well, do her so-called 'feast', right?" Aleena glanced over at the lingering timeline of Philip's, seeing the two entwined strings wrapped around each other. One being lighter in colour than the other, she knew this was the altering timeline that might be. The one that showed her of the strange woman's plans to kill Philip later in the night during a storm that would arrive tomorrow. Even though someone had discovered her and managed to escape, the woman was arrogant enough to think that there was no possible way a child could do anything against her and her life.

"Yeah. She wants to . . . eat him during the storm tomorrow," Aleena mumbled, swallowing heavily as her brave feeling started to ebb away, replaced with dread and uncertainty.

"Storm? She said there was a storm coming?" Marvin asked, confused by this.

"Uh . . . yeah," Aleena replied, realizing that she had messed up in letting her future knowledge slip. "I guess she knows it's coming somehow . . . Anyway, she wants Philip 'sweetened up' by feeding him all that junk. Otherwise, she won't eat him."

"Well . . ." Marvin rubbed at the back of his head, letting out a puff of air. "I guess we got time to figure out somethin' for tomorrow. Until then . . . I'm beat." He let out a sigh, placing back on his cap. "Come on, Charlie."

Aleena stayed in her tent after they left, knowing they were probably going to cook up the small bit of food Marvin had managed to get. But she did not feel like joining them as she usually did. She had long since lost her appetite. Instead, she sat there, curled up in herself with her arms wrapped around her legs and burying her head within her arms. The image of that woman coming after her played over and over again in her mind, making her shiver repeatedly. It was like those men killing Dwight and coming after her all over again. She had left Dwight behind to die . . . and now she was doing the same to Philip. Could she ever save anyone? Was everyone she cared about going to die because of her? She laid down in her bed of blankets on the ground, sniffling as tears slowly rolled down her face. The gentle hum of a star got her attention. She looked up, seeing the soft glow from the white star as it hovered closer to her. She had wondered where it had gone before, but perhaps it had been there with her all along and in her fear she never realized it. Holding out her arms to it, the star got into her hold, cuddling up to her so she could feel its warmth and gentle pulse. All the while she cried, holding the star tightly in her arms, wishing again to be back with Dwight and Lia at home and this be nothing more than a nightmare.

XxXxXxXx

She woke up very slowly the next morning. Groggily laying there in her pile of blankets while the white star hovered just there above her. It gave a hum in greeting, gently rubbing against her cheek. She mumbled in acknowledgement. Sitting up, she rubbed at her eyes, trying to get rid of the grim for them before leaving the tent. She blinked around, seeing the usual people milling around. There were two men fighting over what appeared to be a loaf of bread. But Solomon was coming over to stop them, so she did not worry. It was not as though fighting did not break out often around here. People always got desperate when hungry and would sometimes resort to stealing each other's food. She hurried off past the group of people who stood around watching the fight and Solomon breaking it up, wanting to get to Marvin and Charlie as fast as she could.

Aleena had to squeeze by a few people to get away from the crowd, getting a good distance from where the fighting was occurring. Catching a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye, she halted and turned around, staring at the three people who had joined in the group of others watching Solomon breaking up the fight. It—It was _them_. Her parents with their travelling friend. Well, at least her father was. She was not sure who the woman with the raven hair was. Though . . . she did feel that strange connection with that woman, too. But how could that be? That woman looked nothing like the slim brunette woman from before in the 1500s. She was much shorter, was a bit curvy, and was nowhere nearly as pale as that other woman. At least her father looked exactly alike as before. Besides a change of suit colour.

"You should probably avoid them for the day," came a voice beside her. Aleena looked over, seeing Bad Wolf standing next to her. "The timelines are shifting in dangerous directions if you stay around them for too long. The Doctor will be able to sense you if you do."

"Like I can sense him? How is that anyway? And who is that new woman? Why does she feel like my mother? And why are they—?" Aleena began to ask rapidly. Bad Wolf chuckled, waving a hand for the child to slow down.

"My, you speak just as rapidly as your mother does. Well, at least your mother's third face," Bad Wolf said, smiling away while giving a shrug. "Come. I'll explain while we walk." Glancing back to her parents and their companion, Aleena hurried off to follow after Bad Wolf.

"You said my mom's 'third face'?" Aleena began to ask. "What does that mean? She . . . She can change faces?"

"Yes. Just as your father can."

Aleena frowned, thinking this over. "But I thought you said I was a . . . a Wanderer like my mother. Not a Time Lord like my father. How can a species do the same thing?"

"Remember, a Wanderer and a Time Lord share many of the same things. But there are vast differences between them. Such as—."

"Such as my powers." Aleena nodded, remembering what Bad Wolf had explained. Though, she never really explained _how_ a Wanderer had these powers. Just that they did from the energy called the Time Vortex, and that they were a new species to the new universe of which the likes no one had ever seen. How this was, Aleena had no idea. In fact, now that she thought about it, Bad Wolf did not explain a whole lot of things. More or else just saying how her powers worked (very similar to Bad Wolf's own apparently), how her parents travelled around in their TARDIS, and how she had gotten separated from them. Which happened to be because of a bad person from her father's past who had tried to kill her when she had been in her mother's womb. But her powers had saved her by an instinctual reflex to jump away to the safest point in a Wanderer's timeline. Her mother had done so too in the past, apparently, and Aleena had been old enough in her mother's womb to do as such, too. Other than this basic knowledge—that, and why it was important not to corrupt time—Bad Wolf never did explain much of else from her parents' life or their past. Just explaining how to live with Wanderer powers and such. Aleena always had the feeling that Bad Wolf was not really telling her everything.

". . . I'm not going to change like that . . . am I?" Aleena asked, hesitant for the answer.

"If you're ever close to death, yes. It's called regeneration. It is something which keeps you alive much longer than most species." Bad Wolf explained with ease, sounding as though regeneration was no big deal at all.

Aleena frowned, not really liking the sound of this. She liked the way she was now. She did not want to change faces. In fact . . . the very idea unnerved her. Terrified her even. She shook this idea off completely. It . . . it was not as though it could ever really happen to her, too. She could always figure out another way around it, right? "So, um . . .," Aleena spoke up, deciding to change the subject, "how is it we can sense each other?"

"Another trait of the species," Bad Wolf said, glancing down at Aleena with a small smile. As if she could tell the talk of regeneration had made the girl nervous. "But it is much different for a Wanderer than a Time Lord. For Time Lords, they cannot get away from it. Not ever. Even if they were to travel to the other side of the universe, a Time Lord can always sense where the other is."

"So . . . my dad can sense all Time Lords in the universe?" The very idea of something like that made Aleena stare back towards the distant figure of her father in awe.

Bad Wolf glanced back as well, seeming more sombre now. "Well . . . he used to. He's the last of his species now . . . at the moment at least."

Aleena looked back at Bad Wolf in shock, her expression turning sad. "Oh, no. What happened to the other Time Lords?"

"There was a very terrible war. Between the Time Lords and another horrid species called the Daleks. The whole planet of Gallifrey, your mother and father's home world, was wiped from existence. There is no more Gallifrey in this universe."

It was quiet for a moment as Aleena stared sadly at the ground. "That means my home world is gone, too."

"Hmm. I suppose so. Though, you were born on Earth, so technically this planet is your home now. Just as it is home for your mother and father, too." Bad Wolf stared at the girl, watching calmly how she appeared to ponder this for a moment before slowly smiling brightly.

Aleena grinned at Bad Wolf with a bounce in her step. "Yeah. I guess it is! I really do like it here on Earth. Even if people can be mean at times." She glanced around, seeing a few people looking at her strangely as she knew they only saw her talking to herself. Laughing nervously and in embarrassment, she gave them a quick wave before jogging fast to get away from any stray ears. "So, it's different for my mom, then? This sensing thing I mean."

"Oh, yes. A Wanderer can only sense a Time Lord or other Wanderers if they are close by. They can also block the . . . ah, 'signal' in the mind that allows one another to 'sense.' If that makes any logical sense."

"No, I get what you mean." Aleena shuffled her feet as she walked, wondering what to do now. "You're here for more than just talking, aren't you?"

"I suppose you could say . . . I'm here to give a little motivation." They stopped by a large tree, a place where it was quieter and away from others. Bad Wolf stood before her, staring at Aleena with that always calm expression of hers. "It seems you have a friend in danger."

The brunette shuffled her feet, feeling at a loss of what to say. Bad Wolf had never really been around much since that first day here in Hooverville. Why was she here now? "Yeah . . . I left him behind. I just . . . I got scared."

"Understandable. Anyone would be in that kind of situation. Especially being alone when meeting an alien for the first time."

Aleena felt startled. "That woman is an alien?" At Bad Wolf's raised brow, the girl let out a puff as a blush formed on her face. "Yeah, that was a stupid question. My parents and I can't be the only aliens out there, huh?" Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she let out a sigh as she stared around. Soon her expression grew uncertain. "How can I save Philip? What can I do? I just . . ." She glanced back towards the centre of the town. "Can't I go ask my parents for help? Better yet, I could ask Marvin to ask them for help. That way they don't know I'm here, so I won't be ruining the timeline, and—and—and then _they_ can save Philip."

Bad Wolf shook her head, looking regretful. "I'm sorry. But the universe needs them for something else tonight. A storm is approaching New York, and if your parents do not act, then the planet will fall without them."

"Then . . . what am _I_ supposed to do? I'm . . . I'm useless. I can't save him. I couldn't even save my own father." She bit her lip, feeling her hearts speed up as her anxiety grew. "I—I—I can't do anything."

"Don't sell yourself short just yet." Seeing the extremely anxious expression on Aleena, Bad Wolf sighed, trying to think of words to encourage the girl. "Look . . . it's like your parents always say: Fear makes you . . . survive, and . . ." A blush appeared on the blonde entity's face. "You know, I don't know exactly what they say, but it always seems to help the people they say it to." Seeing the young Aleena's disappointed frown, Bad Wolf gave a weak grin.

"Thanks," huffed Aleena. She sighed, sliding down to sit by the tree. "Maybe I could . . . No, that won't work. Or maybe . . . No. But how about . . . Nah." The girl let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing a hard hand through her hair in aggravation at her own stupid fears and inability to think on what to do.

"You could do what your parents always do," offered Bad Wolf.

"What's that?"

"Just make it up as you go along."

Aleena stared at her in disbelief. "Really? That's the best you can offer?" She sighed when Bad Wolf merely shrugged in response. "Guess I better get to Marvin and Charlie. Maybe they got an idea on what to do." Getting up from the ground, she began to walk away but paused to look back at Bad Wolf. "Thanks for your help. I know you're trying your best, so . . . thank you."

The blonde woman smiled, nodding in appreciation. "Though I know I cannot always give you the best advice, I promise I will always be there to help guide you when you need it the most. Just give me a call next time you're in a dangerous situation like that. Two heads are always better than one. At least, that's is what they tend to say." Just as the woman made to turn away, she looked back at the brunette. "Oh, and next time we meet, I should really show you how to block your senses. I doubt Wanda will realize what she's feeling when meeting you, and she wouldn't really care even if she did because she's just always so trusting. But the Doctor is always the ever-suspicious one. He'll be on guard the moment he senses you're not human. Even if he doesn't recognize that you're his own child."

Aleena nodded, glancing back towards the now very distant figures of her parents, seeing how they were talking with Solomon now after the fight had been settled and the crowd moved on. When she looked back again where Bad Wolf had been, she saw the strange woman was already gone. Aleena's face dropped as she felt disappointment. She wished Bad Wolf would stick around more. She would have liked having someone around from her parent's lives to keep her company and help her understand this strange universe she lived in. But the entity never seemed to want to stick around for long. Either that or perhaps the entity could not stay for too long in this world. Aleena would have also liked if Bad Wolf just told her everything she needed to know so she would not feel left in the dark anymore. Aleena never did like not knowing things. She wanted to know everything and just have that advantage so she did not feel so . . . hopeless.

Letting out a long sigh, Aleena slowly started off towards where she knew Marvin and Charlie would be. Maybe they had a plan in mind. Truthfully . . . she just felt at a loss of what to do for her own life. Let alone what to do for their lost friend. It was not like she could do anything to help anyone out if she could not even help herself. She grumbled in frustrated, running both hands through her hair as she just felt angry at herself. She was just so stupid, stupid, stupid, stu—

"Yo, Aleena. You alright?"

Aleena blinked, freezing on the spot with both hands gripping at her hair in mid-aggravation and one foot still in mid-step. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Just peachy," she said quickly, blushing in being caught by Marvin and Charlie—who stared at her in confusion—in a moment of weakness. She dropped her hands from her messy hair, clearing her throat. "So . . . have we got a plan on what to do for Philip?"

"Yeah, I think I've got it all planned out," Marvin said smoothly, giving a confident grin. He rubbed his hands together as they began to march together out of the town. "Time to give old Diggs a visit."

XxXxXxXx

They each stepped into the warehouse one at a time, going in to see many kids already there for the afternoon work. It had taken them longer than normal to get there, as there had been a robbery at a food shop and of course the first people to be suspected of committing the theft had been the orphan children who happened to be walking by. It was not the first time they had been blamed for a crime around the city at the convenience of the policemen. Luckily a woman had helped them out in the end in describing an adult figure being the one to steal the food instead of a couple of kids. But all of this only made the three friends even more anxious and worried about their lost friend. Any time spent not trying to save Philip would be time closer to him being killed.

The printing press was working at full speed as there seemed to be a new set of papers Diggs wanted to be done for the next day. It appeared things were behind schedule as Diggs was out of his office, in the middle of shouting at the rushing kids.

"Get that paper running! And you! Get out on the street already! I'm not paying you to just stand around gawking!" the man yelled at the children.

"Yo, Diggs!" Marvin shouted loudly, earning the attention of all children around the room. "I gotta bone to pick with you!" Diggs turned, glaring at Marvin in annoyance.

"Look, kid, you're too late. I'm not hiring you again for being late. Either you get here on time to work, or you don't work at all," the man spat at them, going to stomp away from the three. "Can't you see I'm busy? My whole days' worth of papers had been ruined by water leaking from the pipes."

"So, is that why you sent Samuel and all the others to get killed? Because your papers aren't makin' you enough money?" Marvin retorted loudly. Diggs froze, as well as the kids working. The printing press even slowed down a bit, making it quieter in the room. They all sort of paused before slowly looking towards the nervous Diggs. The man quickly glared angrily, trying to not seem fazed by Marvin's accusation.

"What the hell you talking about? Those kids run off like all of you always do in the end. Like I really care if one of you dies when you run away. It's your own fault if that happens," the man said crossly, huffing as though he had nothing to hide.

"Yeah? And I say," Marvin pulled out the straw hat from his pocket, "I got proof you're sendin' us off to get slaughtered for money." Diggs only stared at the hat dumbly while the other kids either gasped or blinked in bewilderment. Marvin held the hat up high for all to see. "My friend went there yesterday! Saw an old hag who eats us kids for fun! And she's payin' off Diggs to send us there for delivery!"

"Is that all the proof you have? A dumb hat?" scoffed Diggs. He waved a hand at Marvin. "Get the hell out of my shop and don't come back! I'm not having some lunatic working for me!"

"It's true! He sends us to Lantern Circle, where there's a room filled with other children's clothing!" Aleena spoke up, getting up on top of a few crates to stand above all so they could see her. "I've been there! I've seen it! He's sent Samuel there, and now my friend Philip! He'll send you all there if you don't listen to us!"

"I said get out of my shop!" Diggs shouted, going to storm over to grab Aleena off the crates.

"Please, we need your help! We've got to stop this monster and save Philip! Save us all from becoming her next meal!" Aleena pleaded with the children. All who looked so hesitant to even breath. They all avoided her gaze, sort of shuffling their feet. The hopeful spark that had been in her slowly died as her shoulders slumped. Diggs let out a barking laugh, sneering at her.

"You think anyone is going to listen to you? Stand up against me when I'm paying them?" the man laughed in her face. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but money talks a whole lot louder than you do." He yanked Aleena off the crates, dragging her outside. "Get back to work!" The children in the shop got busy again, rushing around to do their jobs. The printing press picked up speed once more, filling the room with its sound.

Once outside of the tarps blocking the entrance, Diggs threw Aleena down to the ground. Letting out a huff from the impact, her cap fell off and her hair spilled out. The man laughed even more as Marvin and Charlie came quickly out of the shop, helping her up to her feet.

"Some broad trying to pass herself off as a guy. Now I've seen everything. No wonder you never know when to shut up," the man barked at her. He sneered at the three of them, chortling lightly. "You know, I'd say I'm impressed. Never had anyone figure out my side business. Not even my fellow, ah, 'associates.' But ain't no one gonna believe you. Not these dumb kids, not no coppers, no one. Best just never let me see your faces 'round here again."

Aleena glared at the man, gritting her teeth together, feeling her anger building. But then she glanced at his frayed timeline floating beside him. Narrowing her eyes at it, she saw Diggs—or rather what he called himself to the kids—going through a courtyard by an apartment building a few days from now, getting gun down by a rival gang right there and then. Her anger cooled somewhat as she stared back at the man.

"Have fun with Mineo on the 5th," she responded icily before grabbing Marvin and Charlie's hands and steering them off. Each of them completely missing the both confused and somewhat wary expression on Diggs before he too parted ways and went back inside his shop.

"Well, that was a bust," Aleena huffed, looking down the street towards where she knew Lantern Circle was. "I guess . . . that means we're on our own on this, right?" She looked back at Marvin, seeing the uncertain expression on his face.

"I don't know. I'd hope we'd get at least _someone_ else on our side to fight that thing," Marvin muttered, taking the cap off his head to rub at the back of his head.

"Well, everyone else only cares about taking care of their own asses," Aleena grumbled, crossing her arms to glare back at the shop. "We'll just have to figure it out ourselves."

"No," Marvin said sternly, "Aleena, this isn't somethin' we can fight on our own. I mean . . . we're just a couple of kids. How are we supposed to fight against somethin' like _that_?" He waved his hands towards the far direction of where Philip was still being held and tortured.

Aleena threw her hands up into the air. "I don't know! But we've got to do something!"

"Look, if there's anythin' I learned bein' on these streets, it's that you gotta know when to call it. And I'm callin' it. Come on, if we hurry, we can go get Solomon and hope that he knows how to help." Marvin sped off quickly, followed by a reluctant Charlie. With a sigh, Aleena went after them. Half of her wanted to go back to Philip now. But the other, stronger half, thought that Marvin was right. He always had been. Besides the time stealing candy, of course. She had to trust his judgement.

XxXxXxXx

The three of them finally managed to get back to Hooverville just as night began to settle around them. They ran as fast as they could. The urgency of getting to Philip was great as each of them knew they were running out of time. It was already night and beginning to rain. The storm would be coming at any moment. Along with Philip's death. Aleena knew this especially as she was keeping track of how long they had through Philip's lingering timeline. She was so distracted by watching the string that the sudden appearance of a man holding a gun startled her. She and her two friends yelped in shock as the man pointed the gun at them. But he then quickly lowered it when seeing who they were.

"Damn, you kids scared me," the man sighed.

"We scared you? You pointed a gun at us!" Marvin barked, staring at the man as though he were crazy. "What the hell are you doin' with a gun?"

"There's monsters coming to get us. The same things that have been kidnapping people for months now," the man said gruffly. "So, you three better get back into town. Solomon is rounding up everyone. It's safer to stick with him." He pushed them towards town before turning back to guard the area. The three kids sped up in pace, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"What the hell? Some crazy woman stole Philip, and now monsters are comin' after the rest of us? What the hell is goin' on?" Marvin muttered as they jogged into town.

"I don't know. But I think we should find some place for cover," Aleena suggested, pointing towards some shacks to hide in.

"Good idea. You and Charlie find somewhere safe to hide. I'll go find Solomon and see if he can help us," Marvin said, pointing for them to go while he took off towards the centre of the town. Charlie let out a huff in frustration. Apparently, he was just anxious to get to Philip as fast as possible and was getting tired of these delays.

"I know how you feel, Charlie," Aleena muttered as they both went over to Mrs Betty's shack, hoping to find some place for cover. The woman was not there in her home. Things had been left out, untouched. There was even a fire still burning outside of the small home. What had happened to her? Maybe she was in the centre of town with everyone else? The edges of the town did seem rather deserted. "I don't know, Charlie. Maybe we should head back to where everyone else is. They do say there's safety in numbers." She glanced over, seeing Charlie nod in agreement. But before they could leave the small shack, they heard a whistling being blow outside as well as the cries of alarm.

Before they knew it, there was screaming, gunfire, and the strange squealing of what sounded like pigs. Aleena and Charlie both ducked down into the shack, getting low in the shadows of the small home. They held their breath as they saw a large shape come into the doorway of the home. The sight of the creature that stepped into the home made Aleena's eyes widened to their fullest. It was a tall, strange creature. It had the face of a pig, but the rest of its body was completely human. If she did not know any better, she would have said someone had cut off a pig's head and just glued it to a human body. No wonder that man said it was a monster. It sure did look like something one would call a monster. And the man had said 'monsters' so that must mean there was more of these things running around.

Fortunately, the pig creature seemed to not see the two children in the shack for it stepped back outside and ran off towards the screaming of the people through the town. Charlie and Aleena let out a collective sigh. Just glad it had left. But soon, terror went through them as they heard strange noises from above and the loud firing of weapons. The ground around them shook as explosions went off through the town. Fire could be seen erupting through the night all around through the doorway and the one window in the shack. Aleena sat frozen in fright, her body beginning to shake as everything felt overwhelming to her. She was only able to snap herself out of it when she no longer felt Charlie beside her.

"Charlie!" she shouted as she took off from the shack. She looked around frantically once outside, trying to see where her friend had run off to. Her eyes widened even more when she saw what was firing at Hooverville from above. It was a strange, metal . . . thing, with a long metal rod with a blue light at the end what she could only think of as an 'eye' of some sort. It had two arms, one that looked like a plunger and the other which must be its weapon as she saw beams of light coming out of the end before the discharge hit the place around her and sent off an explosion. The whole thing was shaped funny with a round, dome head, and strange, round metal pieces around the rest of it. It was like . . . some weird armored tank flying through the sky. It must be some other kind of alien species. She was shocked to see that there was actually two flying through the air firing at people. They were the ones that had been taking people? But why? What was the purpose? Did they eat humans the same as that one lady alien downtown?

She ignored the sight from above, looking even more frantically for her friend now. She finally spotted him running away from the scene around the edge of town, trying to escape in fright. She sucked in a breath as she saw his timeline wavering. It was changing. Something was going to . . .

"Charlie!" she screamed, rushing forward. Sprinting as fast as she could, she heard the firing of the metal creature's weapon as she neared Charlie. Just in the nic of time, she managed to push him out of the way as the shot made a fiery explosion right behind them. They each stumbled a bit from the blast but kept running. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the centre of the town with a large group of people huddled around in fright. Her eyes held brief contact with the raven-haired woman's. Brown met grey as each stared at one another in shock. Aleena felt the draw to be with her mother and her father. But she ignored it and pushed onwards, disappearing behind another small building with Charlie.

Each of them managed to hide inside a small tent, hoping that they would be out of the way enough to avoid being fired at any more. Aleena got on top of Charlie, holding him close as he shook from head to toe. Tears streamed down his face as he made small whimpers. Aleena just held him tighter as the beams continued to rain down around them. If one of those beams hit their tent, she hoped that perhaps with her on top of Charlie it would be enough to save him as she took the full force of the deadly fire from above.

"The humans will surrender!" they heard the strange mechanical voice from the metal creature above them. Aleena looked outside of the tent, seeing that there was a cease-fire for now.

"Stay here, Charlie. I'm going to see if I can get a better look," she muttered as she quickly got out of the tent, ignoring the frantic tugging on her coat from Charlie. She stayed crouched in the shadows between the tent and a shack, watching the alien tank hover over the large group of Hooverville citizens. She watched as her father, towering in rage over what had happened to the humans.

"Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!" she heard her father shout at the metal creature. She noticed Solomon stepped forward from where he had been standing next to her father, moving away from the group. Her father tried to grab the town leader as if to warn him of great danger. "No, Solomon, stay back!" But she watched as Solomon ignored her father's warning completely.

"I'm told that . . . I'm addressing the Daleks, is that right?" Solomon called out to the hovering metal creatures.

Aleena blinked in surprise. 'Daleks'? Was that not the species Bad Wolf said had fought against the Time Lords in a big war? She thought Bad Wolf said they had all been wiped out. Apparently not. This only made her wonder if there were any other Time Lords out there like her father, too. In fact . . . were there any more Wanderers, too? She knew Bad Wolf said she and her mother were the only Wanderers, but . . . there might be more. Right? Could always be. Maybe. Or maybe not. But it was nice to hope.

"From what I hear, you're outcasts, too," she listened to Solomon continue to try to speak with these Daleks.

"Solomon, don't!" she watched as her father tried warning Solomon again. She wondered why? Would it not be good to try to talk with the Daleks? Dwight always told her that talking could solve a lot of problems if people just gave it a try. And she knew Solomon believed in the same thing.

"Doctor, this is my township. You will respect my authority," she heard Solomon reply in a strict voice. He pushed her father away from him, nodding as though they would not argue over it any further. She saw how her father hesitated but moved back all the same. Glancing over, Aleena saw how her mother kept a steady and intense gaze on Solomon. As though preparing herself for something. But what? Aleena moved her gaze back to Solomon, watching him speak. "Daleks . . . ain't we the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" Solomon slowly placed his gun on the ground as a show of peace.

"Because, you see, I've just discovered this past day that God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was," Solomon continued to speak. "And that scares me. Oh, yeah, terrifies me, right down to the bone. But surely, it's got to give me hope, hope that, maybe together, we can make a better tomorrow. So I beg you, now, if you have _any_ compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?"

Aleena smiled, knowing those were great words. Anyone would feel touched by them and understand to see reason. Solomon always had a way with people in that regard. Surely these Daleks would feel the sa—.

"Exterminate!"

Aleena gasped as the Dalek shot at Solomon without any hesitation. As though it did not care in the slightest about reason or to talk. It only wished to kill. But at the same time, she watched with wide eyes as her mother launched herself at Solomon before the Dalek even finished its cry, throwing both herself and the town leader down onto the ground and away from the blast that hit the dirt. Her mother then stood up—after making certain Solomon was all right—and faced the Dalek with a fury.

"Coward! You'd shoot a harmless being who means you no harm?! Just like that?!" she shouted at it. She marched forward towards it, staring hatefully at the metal creature while it just eyed her coolly with its dead blue light. "You really are vile creatures, you know that!"

"Wanda! Get back!" yelled her father. Aleena watched as he rushed up and tried to pull her back. But her mother stood her ground firmly.

"How can you shoot someone with such courage?! At least you can understand bravery!" yelled her mother. "Shooting the innocent doesn't make you brave or strong! It makes you weak! It makes you worse than anything in this universe!"

"Wanda, that's enough," her father ordered her shouting mother once more. But still, it seemed her mother was too angry to care about warnings.

"How could you have killed them?! They were just children! Why would you ever do something like that to children?!"

Aleena blinked, wondering what her mother was talking about. The humans in the town? Were they the children? Well, Bad Wolf did say that her father and mother were very, very old compared to normal humans. That she would be that old someday, too. So, she guessed humans were like children to their species. Huh. She never thought of it that way before.

"Kill me instead! Just leave everyone alone!"

Aleena snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her father shout. Gasping, she stared in horror as the Dalek aimed at her father, who stood in front of her mother to protect her, and seemed to be preparing to fire. But something changed. The Dalek seemed to be arguing with itself as it hovered there. Finally, the Dalek appeared to change its mind as it ordered her father to follow it instead. She let out a sigh in relief. It appeared her mother had as well as she held her father's hands in a tight grasp. Each of them whispered quietly for a moment before her father looked back at the Dalek once more.

"One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here," he yelled at the Dalek. "Do you hear me?"

"Humans will be spared," answered the Dalek, sounding rather reluctant. "Doctor . . . follow."

Aleena let out another sigh of relief, glad that the two Daleks in the sky were backing off. She smiled as she watched her father and mother talk quietly amongst each other before giving each other a loving kiss. It was nice seeing them being so loving with each other . . . and so brave. She turned away from the scene, going back to the tent with Charlie inside.

"Come on, Charlie, all those things are leaving. Let's go find Marvin," she said to the boy. Charlie nodded in firm agreement, getting out of the tent as both of them began to search through the town for their friend. Things had really gone to ruin in the small shanty town. Fires were burning down homes and other things, shacks had been torn apart by the explosive shots from the Daleks, and there were more than a few dead bodies lying around the place. The echo cries for help only made the whole thing even eerier. Aleena tried to ignore all of this. She only wanted to focus on finding Marvin, and maybe Mrs Betty, too. If she focused too much on the chaos around her . . . she feared she might start going through another panic episode.

Finally, they came across Mrs Betty, sitting down in a shaking mess while another woman tried to comfort her. She was shaken up, but other than that she was fine. Aleena left Charlie with her while she continued on to search for Marvin. When she eventually found him, she feared the worst. He was underneath a large lumber piece that had been a part of a shack. His head was bleeding from a cut, and his leg did not in the best condition either as it looked a bit twisted. Her hearts raced as she quickly got the large lumber piece off of him and began to check him over. Seeing how he was completely motionless made her fear that he was already dead. But she let out a sigh in relief when she felt a pulse on his neck. Good. Just unconscious, then.

Hurriedly, she got him up off the ground, using his arm around her shoulders to keep him beside her as she began to walk with him. She wondered if there was any setup for medical care. There had to be, right? Marvin began to groan, making Aleena worried that she was hurting him.

"Damn. What hit me?" she heard him mumble groggily.

"Well, it looked like a whole beam from a shack," Aleena said casually, trying to sound more calm about the situation than she felt. "Could have been the whole house fell on you."

"Yep. That would do it," Marvin laughed weakly. He opened his eyes in a squint, glancing at her. "Charlie?"

"He's all right. I left him with Betty," Aleena assured him. "But don't worry about it now. Let's just find some help for you."

"I hope this doesn't ruin me workin' later," Marvin joked, closing his eyes as he just let Aleena carry him. Gazing around, she finally spotted that woman with the red leather jacket, the one who had been with her parents, tending to several people. It appeared she knew quite a bit medically.

"Excuse me," Aleena spoke up, hesitating just outside the small shack where the woman was working. She felt nervous, afraid this might be affecting the timelines if she talked with the woman. But Bad Wolf only ever said not to run into her parents. Never said anything about people who might travel with her parents, right? The woman glanced over, immediately looking at Marvin in concern.

"Bring him in," she said, waving Aleena to come inside the shack. Once inside, the woman helped Aleena place Marvin onto a makeshift bed made out of crates and blankets. The woman gently looked him over, being very thorough in her care. "Looks like a concussion and a sprained ankle. But nothing worse than that." The woman smiled, seeming to wish to give Aleena some assurance over her friend's health. "He'll be all right. Just needs to rest for a few days. I'll get some bandages for his head."

"Thank you," Aleena whispered quietly, watching as the woman left to gather up some clean bandages. She could see the woman speaking with another blonde woman, who appeared to be working with a few people in gathering supplies to help the wounded. Aleena knew that her mother was off doing the same in the rest of the town, helping people put out fires and bring in the wounded. They were all doing what they could to help. Even people they had never met. And what was she doing? Sitting here, hoping for someone else to help her? Why could she not be brave like her mother, who stood up against that Dalek, or her father, who went with the Daleks to save all these people here? She was brought out of her thoughts as the woman came back into the shack with clean, white bandages, beginning to clean and wrap up Marvin's head.

"So, what's your name?" the woman asked her politely, smiling at Aleena. The girl was about to answer but felt conflicted on what to say. This seemed to make the woman feel as though she were being shy for the woman smiled kindly. "What about your friend? Seems you really care about him."

"Yeah," Aleena mumbled, looking away. She glanced at the woman curiously. "Who are you? You and, um, those two other people. I saw you three coming in this morning."

"I'm Martha," the woman replied. "Then there's the Doctor and Wanda. I'm sort of . . . travelling with them at the moment." Aleena nodded, looking off towards all the fires still burning around. A gust of wind went through the air, bringing in the smell of an oncoming storm. The storm which would mean the death of Philip.

"Those two people . . . do they help others out a lot?" the young girl asked quietly.

Martha paused in her work, glancing at the girl. "Yeah. All the time, I think. Met them when they were saving me and a thousand others from dying."

Aleena held her hands tightly together, her mind and stomach churning. "Would you say they do whatever it takes to save others?"

Martha finished up her work, now checking Marvin to make certain he was resting comfortably. Turning to the girl now, she stared at Aleena curiously, wondering why this child was asking such questions. "I think so, yeah. The Doctor almost died to save me and the entire hospital the first day we met . . . and I know Wanda would do the same, too."

Nodding for a moment, Aleena tugged on her earlobe, still feeling as uncertain as before. But continued on with her questioning. "Do you think . . . that they get scared?"

"Well, I'm sure they do. Everyone gets scared every now and then. You think that everyone here wasn't scared tonight when we were attacked?" Martha stared at Aleena kindly, reaching over to pat the girl's shoulder in thinking the child was talking about being scared of the Daleks. Though, there was some truth to that. "It's okay to be scared. Fear drives us to stay alive during the worst times, I think."

"And it drives people to save others, too?"

"Yeah, I think that's what pushes the Doctor, and Wanda, to do what it is they do." Martha then shrugged. "Though, I don't know them that well yet, so . . . I could be wrong there." She was about to say something else to the child, concerned about why the girl was asking such questions. But then she was called away to come outside to help another patient into the sort of makeshift medical shack.

Aleena watched the woman leave, feeling emotions churning away within her. Fear being the main one. But, after sucking in a breath, she steeled herself as a new feeling came forth. The feeling of determination to save her friend. Glancing back at the still unconscious Marvin, she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll get Philip back. I give you my word," she whispered to her friend. With this said, she left quickly, running off into the night.

Martha came back only moments later with a man, helping him to sit down so that she could clean up the cut on his arm. She looked over for the girl she had just been talking to but was surprised to see no one. Blinking, she gazed towards just outside the small area where she was with her patient, wondering if the girl were only just outside the shack.

"Hey, Martha. I got some more bandages, and it looks like all the fires are finally out," Wanda said as she came into the small space. The woman wiped away some soot that was on her face, giving a sigh from the tiring night. Noticing the companion's uncertain expression, Wanda frowned in concern. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, just . . . there was a girl here and I thought I might have you talk to her. She seemed really interested in you and the Doctor," Martha said, shrugging to continue with her work on the man sitting beside her.

"Did you happen to get her name?" Wanda questioned curiously.

"No, she didn't tell me."

Wanda hummed, then shrugged herself. "Well, maybe I'll run into her again later."

XxXxXxXx

The moment she was out of sight by others, she teleported herself directly to that woman's house. She knew she must have jumped somewhat into the future for the storm was upon them now with rain beginning to fall harder than before and wind gusting throughout the neighbourhood. She only had a little time left before that large lightning strike would happen. The same moment that woman would be killing Philip and placing him into the stove to be cooked. Aleena rushed over to the house. Her mind racing in trying to think of what to do. The only thing she could think to do was . . . but she had promised herself she would never do that again. She just . . . No, she had to. She knew her mother and father go through whatever it takes to save others. So . . . she had to as well.

Sucking in a breath, she hurried around back of the house, looking at all the windows with the strange red cones on the sills. She did not know what exactly they were, but they somehow kept away any cats from this strange alien lady. Something which terrified her for some odd reason. Aleena knew she would have to use this to her advantage. Concentrating, she focused her mind on the cones. She was never good at lifting so many things at once, but she ignored the pain in her mind as she pushed herself to get all the cones off the windows and to even open the windows themselves. Once this was done, she hurried through one window at the lower floor. Getting into the home, she felt the heat immediately radiating through the house. The stove must be going on full force with how hot it was.

Aleena moved as quietly as possible through the house, going down the hall towards the kitchen. Peeking around the corner, she saw the woman moving in a hurry through the kitchen. It seemed as though she were growing restless for her 'meal.' Aleena glanced over, seeing Philip sitting in a daze at the table. Still in the same trance as before. Though now his face and hands were covered in a sticky mess. A lot that looked like chocolate. He must have been eating that stuff all day and night. Only now it looked as though he were done with stuffing his face. Now he just remained in his trance, waiting for more orders. The woman turned to him with a gleeful smile, going over to the dazed boy with a large butcher knife in hand. Aleena acted then, rushing into the kitchen and ramming herself into the woman. Both of them fell to the floor in a huff as the knife fell from the woman's hands and to the floor. She stared at the girl on her with wide eyes before glaring viciously with a hiss.

" _You_!" she growled. "I should have known you'd be stupid enough to come back for your little friend."

"You're not going to harm him or anyone else in this town ever again," Aleena retorted lowly. She let out a cry when the woman lashed her across the face, knocking her clear across the kitchen.

"Ha! As if an insignificant child like you can ever stop me," the woman let out in a barking laugh. With a look of panic, Aleena hurried up from the floor, hushing into the living room.

It was a déjà vu of what happened yesterday. The woman chased after Aleena, with them both ending up in front of the rather large window again in the room. Though instead this time, Aleena faced the woman, having her back to the window as she glared at the hissing lady. The woman smiled wickedly, raising her hand up high that held the large knife. There came a blinding flash of lightning followed by the deafening crash of thunder. All of this happening at the exact moment the woman brought down the knife to strike Aleena. But the girl was ready, rolling out of the way in time and using the light and noise to keep the woman from noticing just how close she had brought them to the window. The glass shattered upon impact when the force of the knife hit it. The window was now wide open to the elements outside, bringing in wind and rain from the raging storm. Aleena held out her hand, making the red cones on the sill on the window fly away.

"No!" the woman screeched in fear, staring wide-eyed in horror at the broken window. She backed away as a cat jumped onto the sill, meowing hungrily at her. "NO!" She ran from the cat, going towards the back of the house. But she was only confronted by more cats who had snuck through the windows in the back. They all meowed at her, some even purring as they came up to her. She backed away in fright.

Aleena used all of this to her advantaged, jumping over a cat and running over to Philip. She grabbed his hand and yanked him from the table. She practically dragged him to the front door as he was still in a trance and his body did not want to move without being told so. When she glanced back at the woman upon hearing her piercing screeches, Aleena wished she had not. The woman had fallen to the floor, with the cats all over her—rubbing against her purring for food—and her face swelling up as though having a horrible allergic reaction. She was not breathing anymore, either. Clearly dead from whatever had happened to her from the cats. Aleena grimaced, turning her head away as she dragged Philip out of the house.

Well . . . that would explain why the woman had been so afraid of felines.

XxXxXxXx

"Oh, I feel l-l-like my st-st-stomach is going t-t-o turn inside-out," Philip groaned as he rubbed his stomach. Currently, he, Marvin, Charlie, and Aleena all sat in Mrs Betty's shack. The early morning light of the new day slowly rose over the city, shining into the broken doorway of their caretaker's home.

"It's from all those sweets," Aleena explained, handing Philip a nice warm drink of milk. Something she hoped would help flush out his system a bit. "If you drink plenty of water, and eat a lot of vegtables, it should help you start feeling back to normal. Just no more candy for a while."

"No more c-c-c-candy ev-er-er," Philip groaned, shaking his head and taking a long gulp of milk.

"No more separate jobs ever," Marvin said, sitting back in a makeshift chair and his injured leg propped up on a small crate. Charlie sat by him, widdling some wood in hand and nodding with a face that said 'never, ever, ever again.'

Aleena smiled at them all, feeling at ease in how happy they had been when she and Philip had gotten back to the town. Marvin had limped towards them, with the makeshift crutch he had been given, in such a hurry. Clear frantic worriment had been all over his face. Charlie practically flung himself onto Aleena and Philip, hugging them in relief. After that, they celebrated Philip's return and Aleena's heroic save of him. They all chatted in delight, just so happy to be back together again and for this crazy two days to be over. But as they chatted and talked, Aleena felt . . . different. Like she really accomplished something here tonight. She felt such an elated and warm feeling throughout her. Which made her wonder . . . was this something she was meant to do? Like her parents, was she meant to help people out in travels? Save the day and all that?

She glanced around at her friends, feeling as though her time here had finally come to an end. She felt more at peace with herself and with what she was than ever before. Something which these three boys had helped her with. More than they would ever realize. She hated to leave them, but there was just so much more meant for her out there. Things that she knew her parents would want her to experience as they did.

Very carefully, she got up from the floor in the shack, edging out of the place while the three were going about in their conversations. Neither one of them noticed her departure. She was glad for this. A part of her really did not wish to have to say goodbye. It just . . . felt too painful to leave her first real friends behind. But she knew she had to. She felt the call of time needing for her to be somewhere new. Just like Bad Wolf said would happen. Like her parents, Aleena decided to follow that call. So, she got to her tent, gathering up her hidden backpack, and made her way to begin her journey out of Hooverville. Though, she halted in place right outside her tent when a call came from behind her.

"Yo! Where do you think you're goin', huh?" called out Marvin. He limped over to her, staring at her in concern as he leaned heavily on his crutch. A bit of guilt went through Aleena as she stood there. Maybe she should think about saying goodbye. After all, with what they went through, she would hate to make them think something awful had happened to her.

"Sorry, it's just . . . It's time for me to head out," Aleena said, adjusting her pack on her back. "After all of this . . . those Daleks and that woman . . . it made me realize what I think I'm meant to do in the universe. I don't know if I'm right about this. But it _feels_ right, you know?"

Marvin just looked confused. "What are you talkin' about?"

Tugging on her earlobe in uncertainty, Aleena shuffled her feet. "I never told you why I came to Hooverville. Mostly because . . . I didn't think you and the others would accept me. But also . . . because I didn't think you'd ever believe me." She stared at him evenly, feeling more confident now. "I came here in search of my parents. Well, mostly. It was also to find out where I belong and all that, too. But that's a different story altogether. Anyway, seeing my parents yesterday . . . and saving Philip . . . It's just shown me that there's a greater life meant for me out there. So I want to find it. To find _them_. I know they don't know about me yet, but someday they will. I want to be there for them when that day comes."

She blushed when seeing Marvin blinking at her. She did not mean to ramble on so fast. In fact, she never really talked much before because she had always been taught to keep her head down and be quiet in the past. Well, for the most part, anyway. Well, it was not as if she ever _actually_ kept completely quiet, but she did try to. But now . . . she really liked voicing what she wanted to say.

"So . . . in other words, you're leavin' us?" Marvin asked quietly, looking down by this prospect.

"I'm sorry. I have to," Aleena apologized, truly feeling horrible by the sad expression she put on his face. This was the reason why she did not want to say goodbye. She hated to make her friends sad in any way. "I have to find my parents."

Marvin stayed quiet for a moment, seeming to take this all in. He then smiled, nodding at her. "Well then . . . do what you have to. You go find those parents of yours. And if things don't work out, well, then you know where to find us."

Aleena smiled brightly, going over to give him the biggest hug. "Thank you, Marvin. For more than you'll ever know. And thank those other two as well. Give them a hug for me. And don't worry about this Depression thing. It'll pass, trust me. As long as you three stick together, you'll make it through." Stepping back, she gave him a small saluting gesture before turning and leaving Hooverville for the last time.

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And that's the end of this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed! :) As always, any review would be much appreciated, always helps me make the story even better than before. But if I don't hear from you, then I just hope that you have an absolutely wonderful day. :)

Reviewers:

 **bored411** : Well, we definitely got to see what it was about lol ;) Hope you enjoyed! So happy to hear from you again. I hope that you're doing well.

 **sketchtheunicorn** : Aww, I'm just happy to hear from you again really. :) So glad you liked the last chapter. Hope that you'll like this new one as well!

 **mjhappy** : Yay! Glad that it was. Hope you're doing well! :)

 **swimmjacket** : I know. I wish she could go to them. I know that they would give her the biggest hug ever. But as Bad Wolf said, timey wimey stuff and all :( Hooverville is the best place I think Aleena could have gone during that time. But maybe there could have been a better place I suppose. Thank you for understanding my late chapters at times. Really hope that this chapter was good as well. And take care until next time! :)

 **ThatBlueStrawberry** : You are indeed right, she did not stay for very long. It was a place for Aleena to find herself before moving on again. I believe she is going to become just like her mom and dad. You know, wandering around and such. ;) Hope to see you again in the next chapter!

Thanks again my lovelies for all the support! You're all amazing people.

~Tinker~


	7. Ch 7: School of Trouble

Now this is where the fun begins. ;)

Hello once again, readers! Hope everyone has had a great time since the last update. Please enjoy the newest chapter and have a bless day.

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Chapter 7: School of Trouble

Luke Smith—sitting in the car beside his new adoptive mother Sarah Jane Smith—felt extremely nervous. Not that he would let anyone else notice that. It was just . . . no matter how much his mother told him not to worry about school, he could not help _but_ worry. Kids around here were so . . . normal compared to him. Besides him being created by the Bane and only being a few months old, he knew his intelligence was far above all the others as well. From all the television shows he had been watching so far to gather enough information to know how basic interactions between teenagers worked, it always seemed as though intelligence was not a main concern, nor a sot for trait in a person. Though Sarah Jane said otherwise, so perhaps it was like she and Maria Jackson—his one only friend that was the same age as he had been made to be—said and he was just overthinking it. Something which Maria said he tended to do a lot of. But was it not normal to anaylise everything to gather enough information of the world? Perhaps that was something else he should work on.

Luke looked over when he felt the vehicle begin to slow down, seeing how they were finally at the new school in Ealing. There were just so many other kids walking around outside the school, getting into the building at a casual pace as though none of them really wished to get there right away. Once Sarah Jane had parked the car on the side of the sidewalk, Luke stepped out when seeing his new mum begin to get out as well. He adjusted the large backpack on his shoulder a bit, glancing at the school briefly before going over to meet Sarah Jane on the other side.

"Now, you take care. Okay?" Sarah Jane began to say, holding his upper arms for a moment before fixing his school tie in a gesture of reassurance. A gesture he knew meant for comfort and encouragement. Was this gesture not something one usually did when they were nervous for someone else? Perhaps he was not the only that was anxious about school.

"Goodbye, mum," he said politely, hoping to give her a message to not worry and that he would indeed be okay in the end. He even gave her the usual smile one would in this sort of situation.

"Oh, I don't think so. No, Sarah Jane, that's just fine," replied his mother, sounding a bit more nervous now than before. This only confused Luke. He thought that was the usual greeting for sons and mothers. Did he say it wrong? A bit of him also felt a bit disheartened as well, but he had no time to reflect on this as he saw Maria come up beside them by this point. "Oh, hi, Maria."

Luke smiled at his friend, glad that at least there was someone he knew at this strange new place. Just then, Sarah Jane seemed to rethink something before going back into the car. She reached forward, holding his face in a kind way, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. For luck, he suppose. But then all the other school teens laughed. Some even pointed at him in a way that he knew would be considered rude. Why did that gesture of kindness get that sort of reaction? Did their mothers not do the same thing?

"Why were they laughing?" Luke asked Maria once Sarah Jane had driven off.

"First day, and your mum's kissing you goodbye?" Maria said, smirking lightly at him as though there were some untold joke she knew. This only baffled Luke even more.

"Is that bad?" he wondered curiously, trying to see the reasoning behind the humour.

"Bit embarrassing," Maria replied with a shrug. "Plus, she so wants you to call her 'mum.'"

All right, by this point, Luke knew he was completely lost. "She said she didn't."

"It's not what she said."

Luke could only feel baffled, wondering just how much more he would have to study about human behaviours to understand just what Maria was talking about. He glanced over when Maria noticed the gleaming new section of the school. It was large, with shining, glass windows that made up most of the building itself. They also saw the large satellite dishes on top of the building itself, pointing upwards towards the sky.

"It's a brand new building. There was an article about it in the paper," Luke told her after she had pointed it out. He remembered all about what he had researched on the school. Always know everything about a place before visiting. That was what Sarah Jane had told him, at least. Plus he wanted to make certain he knew all he could so he would not be left out from the other students and teachers. He wanted to fit in as much as he could, be normal and such. He just hoped it would make Sarah Jane happy in the end. It was a child's job to make their parents happy, was it not?

Luke followed alongside Maria the best he could, going with the rest of the students in the messy crowd towards the school. He tried to keep up in pace as Maria said they would have to hurry for the morning assembly. Apparently, it was normal for schools to have one after a holiday break. But suddenly, he tripped as someone bumped right into him. His bag fell off his shoulder and his papers and books spilled right out onto the ground. A few students laughed snidely at him as they passed him by. Some even stepped right on his things as they continued onward. He looked around, seeing Maria was lost in the crowd, no where in sight. He got down quickly to gather up his things, wanting to catch up with her as fast as possible.

"Well, that was so not cool of them."

Luke blinked, looking over to see a girl suddenly appear next to him, crouching down to help him pick up his things. He took in her appearance very quickly, seeing her brown hair, rich, brown eyes, freckles on her face, and possibly too skinny body. When she smiled at him, he saw a dimple form on the right side of her face, her eyes almost shining in the light as she looked at him.

"There you are," she said kindly, handing him his things as they stood up. He noticed how she was just about as tall as Maria was. So, he knew she must be about the same age as him, being fourteen or so. Though height was never an accurate measure of age. He knew this from the books he read. He looked at her uniform when noticing it looked rather untucked, with her shirt hanging out a bit, her necktie loose, and her black shoes a bit scuffed up. Strangely, she had no bag with her like all the rest of the students did.

"Thank you. I'm sorry to trouble you," Luke said quickly, hoping that he had not taken time out of her day just to help him.

"No sweat!" she said brightly, grinning at him while bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I'm happy to help. Besides, I think that might have been me that bumped into you. Sorry about that. I'm such a clutz."

"Oh, that's fine. I'm sure accidents happen often in crowded places." Luke smiled at her as well, feeling happy that someone else actually wished to communicate with him. "How do you do? I'm Luke Smith." He held out his hand, knowing that he was giving the typical greeting one would in meeting someone new. He wanted to make friends, after all. First impressions were always key in the books that explained social interactions, so he wanted to be as good as he could be in a first meeting.

"Aleena Tate," the girl responded eagerly, slapping her hand to his and giving a firm shake. "Nice meeting you, Luke."

It was at this moment he realized the way she spoke seemed rather strange than how others talked in this environment. Was this a new dialect? "You have a different accent," he remarked in observation. He suddenly felt this might be rude of him to state that so openly. But when seeing the smile on her face, he felt relieved that she did not seem to mind at all.

"Yep! I grew up in the United States for a long while, so sort of picked it up a bit," she explained, shrugging a bit. "By the way, I saw how all those ankle biters laughed at you when your mom kissed you goodbye. Don't let them get you down. I wished my old lady would have given me the same affection when she dropped me off at school. If you got a parent who loves you that much, then don't let others make you feel like it's a bad thing."

Luke nodded, feeling a bit better that not everyone wanted to laugh at him for that. He began to walk along side Aleena as they moved with the masses into the school. "Your mum never kissed you for luck?"

"Nah, she wasn't the affectionate kind of person. Wish she had been, though. It's nice to feel loved."

"I'm not so sure if Mrs. Smith is affectionate as well."

Aleena looked at him curiously. "You call your mom by her name?"

Luke shrugged a bit. "She said she didn't want me to call her 'mum.'"

"Oh?" He watched as Aleena's eyes sparked with interest. "Are you adopted by her?"

"Yes, she took me in recently."

Aleena smiled very kindly at him, looking as though she understood him even better now. "I was adopted, too. It's nice knowing that someone in the world cares enough about you to take you in, isn't it?" Luke felt even more at ease with this girl now, knowing that he was not the only adopted kid in school. But when he realized she said 'was' he wanted to question her on what she meant by that, though she continued speaking so he decided to wait to ask. "So, I'm guessing this means you're new like me, then? Darn. I was hoping someone could tell me a bit about this new building here."

"I don't think anyone knows about it yet," explained Luke. "They opened it before school was in secession. It's new to everyone here except the teachers maybe."

"Hmm." Aleena glanced back at the new building with interest, looking very thoughtful. "Suppose this means I'm going in blind, then. Ha. This should be a blast. Love not knowing what's coming." She rubbed her hands together as though eager now.

Luke stared at her, even more curious now about this strange girl. "But I thought it was always good to be prepared and know what you're going into?"

Aleena smirked lightly at him. "Yeah, but where's the fun in that? Then you'll know all that's coming your way and it won't be a gas anymore. It takes the surprise out of the day."

"So . . . it's a good thing to be surprised?"

"Most times, it is. That way life doesn't become a bore or routine. It makes life an adventure that way." Aleena gave him a happy clap on his shoulder, smiling away. "So, go enjoy being surprised! You'll never know how often you'll find yourself having a blast that way. I'll go ahead and let you be on your way now. I'm sure your girlfriend from earlier is probably wondering where you're at by now."

"Maria? Oh, yes, I should look for her." Luke glanced around the sea of students, spotting Maria rather quickly as she stood by the entrance of the school with an anxious expression. From the looks of it, Maria must have been waiting for him there once she noticed he was not beside her anymore. He hoped she had not become too worried in his absence.

"There you are. I thought maybe you might have gone inside already," Maria said once he came up to her.

"Sorry, I dropped my things, and then I was talking with Aleena," Luke said in apology, hoping Maria would not be too offended in his absence.

"Who?" Maria questioned, appearing confused now.

"Oh, sorry, Maria this is . . ." He went to introduce Maria and Aleena with each other, as custom. But when he turned, he saw that the brunette girl was no where in sight. Only other students walking around him and Maria to get inside. It was as though the strange girl had not been there at all. "She was right here with me. Didn't you see her?" Luke looked back at Maria, seeing her puzzled expression.

"No. Sorry. But come on, we have to hurry. We're going to be late." Maria grabbed his arm, dragging him into the school.

They hurried into the assembly room. It was large, with a stage that had teachers all sitting down already and staring out into the crowd of students. Many kids were already getting into their seats and settling in for the opening introduction. Maria pulled Luke over to a spot in the middle. One of the only places that had a few seats open so they could sit together. Sitting down together, Luke looked around at all the moving students, seeing how many glanced his way and gave him strange stares. Gazes that made his stomach feel a bit queasy.

"I'm feeling anxious," Luke told Maria truthfully of how he felt. It was always good to be truthful, he read.

"So am I," Maria agreed with him.

"But you've been to school before," he countered, feeling a bit confused as why she would feel anxious. She was not an experiment made by aliens. She was normal like all the others. She would not have any trouble being like all the other children.

"Not this one," she disputed, shaking her head as she stared around nervously.

"Budge up," a came voice beside them. Luke looked over and saw a boy come up to sit next to them. Both he and Maria scooted over, letting their fellow peer get an empty seat. The boy smiled at them in greeting. "You new today?"

"Yeah. Maria," replied Luke's friend.

"Clyde. New, too. Probably hang around with you till I meet some cooler people," the boy responded, smiling as though he were rather happy about something he just said. Luke was not certain what this statement or smile meant, but he leaned over and held out his hand in greeting.

"How do you do? I'm Luke Smith," he stated in the very same manner as he had before with Aleena. However, instead of smiling like Aleena had, Clyde frowned and looked bothered by something.

"Okay, that was a joke. Now I mean it," Clyde said in a grumble, but shook Luke's hand nonetheless. Luke only felt at a loss once Clyde let go of his hand and refused to meet his eye after that. He did not understand. He did the very same thing as he had done with Aleena. Why was there a completely different reaction between the two? Aleena had seemed very pleased with his introduction, while Clyde . . . did not. Perhaps there was a difference between the genders in introduction that Luke did not yet know about? Or maybe it was the difference in where Aleena had come from? He felt that maybe he should do some more study to look up what he might have done wrong.

Before long, Luke was following all the other students through the new science facility that had been built. The headmaster, Mister Blakeman himself, gave a sort of tour of the place for the children to see. Luke stared down at the pamphlet he had grabbed from one of the new rooms they had been shown through. A science club that was held during lunch time. Glancing over, he saw Clyde not too far away from him. Once he sped up, he tried showing the meeting to Clyde, hoping perhaps this would gain him a new friend with his peer. Clubs were always fun, right? But again, Clyde just shut him down, seeming to want to keep distance from him even more. It was even worse when the headmaster let out a fart and all the other children laughed.

"Why is farting funny?" he questioned Clyde, hoping that maybe getting some more insight from a peer. Even if that peer did not show much interest in him.

"It just is," Clyde said with a shrug. As though the joke was something everyone should understand.

"But it's a normal process of the human bowel," Luke countered, still baffled why something so natural and normal could be considered 'funny'.

Clyde stared at him as though he had said something beyond bizarre. "Are you for real?" Suddenly, Clyde gave a sniff, scrunching his nose a bit. "Smells weird in here."

Luke looked at him curiously. "Farts?"

"Don't know. Metal, electric."

"Like batteries." Luke agreed with him, finding it smelled just like that. He had thought it was a normal smell for schools. But if Clyde said it was not, then made it had something to do with the new wing?

The masses moved again, and Luke tried to keep up. Clyde disappeared on him. Most likely trying to stay clear as he said he would. Feeling a bit disappointed, Luke wondered if there might be anyone else he could talk with. By chance he happened to glance over and caught sight of the girl from before. He spotted her gazing around one empty laboratory, examining the different lab equipment as though she found it very peculiar. He thought that everything here was supposed to be standard for most schools, but he was wrong already today about a lot of things. So, who knew if he was wrong about this new science wing as well.

"Hello again," he called out to the girl, stepping into the room with her. Aleena turned around, blinking at him in surprise when seeing him. But she smiled in greeting all the same. Even if she had not been expecting him, it seemed she still appreciated his presence.

"Hello!" she replied, grinning widely at him. "Having a good first day so far?"

"I think so," he mumbled a bit, not really wanting to tell her how he felt on this day. But it had only just started, so he hoped it would get better. He took note of Aleena now wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses that looked rather old and large on her. She also held a small, strange device in hand that had a monitor and was beeping occasionally. "What's that?"

"Just something I've made. Helps me find hidden . . . things." she answered lightly, shrugging a bit as she did not know how to explain what it did. "It doesn't work all the time, but until I can find something better suited to investigate with, it'll do for now." She stuffed the device into her pocket, humming as she looked around the room. "This place seems rather . . . odd. Don't you think? The layout of the building is just horrible."

Luke nodded in agreement. "It smells odd more than anything."

"Yeah. Smells like they got a high-powered supercell unit hidden somewhere around here." She glanced over when seeing his puzzled gaze. She looked as though she just realized she said something bad. "Heh. Don't mind me. I'm just . . . being a ditz. Anyway, what class you got next?"

"Um . . ." Luke looked at his class list, seeing what would be his first period. "Maths. You?"

Aleena shrugged. "I suppose maths, too." She took off her glasses, placing them into a pocket as she strolled out of the room with him. "I saw you talking with that other kid. You find a new friend?" When seeing Luke's hesitate answer, she smiled kindly. "Don't sweat it, Luke. I'm sure you'll make great friends. You might not have a whole lot, but as a few good friends are better than a ton of horrid ones."

Luke stayed quiet for a moment, thinking this over. He feared this might be the wrong thing to ask, but . . . "Are we friends?" He watched as Aleena halted in step, looking at him in the same nervous way that he knew he felt about today.

"I'm not . . . a very good friend to have," she said quietly, averting her eyes to stare rather sadly down at the ground.

"Why do you say that?" He gazed at her curiously, trying to understand why she would say this. Was she just as uncertain about herself as he felt with his actions and life?

Shrugging after a moment, she began tugging on her earlobe. "Because I can't really stick around long enough to be a good friend. Because I'm horrid when it comes to interactions between people and understanding how they function. Because I'm just . . . not really a good person in general. I'm just a bad scene to be around."

Processing this for a minute, seeing how saddened she looked, Luke could only ponder what she meant by all that. But then he smiled. "I'm probably not a good friend to have, either. So, that would make us each more compatible as friends, don't you think?"

Snorting, Aleena shook her head as she chuckled quietly. Then, she grinned more brightly at him. "All right, then. Friends. For now, at least. 'Cause I'm sure you'll want me to shove off before long. Trust me." She gave him a wink before skipping forward towards where the classroom ahead.

All the while Luke could only ponder in what she meant by that.

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Throughout the day, Luke found he enjoyed having Aleena around. Even if she did not think very highly of herself, he found her very smart and very nice to him. He just felt lucky that she seemed to have all the same classes as him, going with him to every one and sitting next to him once they got in. He found it strange that she had no books to study or papers to take notes with. She even seemed not to pay attention much, staring off around the ceiling as though bored (though strangely he found her staring off as though looking at something in the air). However, whenever he would get called upon by a teacher to answer a question, it was not just him adding in new insight to the questions, expanding in answers what the teachers were looking for. It was Aleena as well, adding in beside him in what she too thought of the questions. He found her doing this more whenever a few other students began snickering at him when he went in a ramble with his answers. He blushed the first time, but when Aleena piped up and added more, he felt more relieved that he was not the only one who enjoyed studying extensive human knowledge. He thought he even saw her give hard looks with flashing white eyes to the students who snickered. Though that could have just been his imagination. Even if the other students did seem to stop snickering and stayed quiet any time he or Aleena spoke after that.

During lunch she left him to eat, saying about how she needed to look into something. From what he figured, she was most likely going to the library to study. He would have gone as well, but he did feel rather hungry. Though once he actually received a meal . . . he was not as hungry any more when seeing the mold on some of his pasta. When he went to the library—after dumping his food away—he found it empty except for the librarian. No Aleena in sight. He waited there for a while, hoping that she would show up again. But after the bell rang, he decided to head to class, hoping that maybe they would have the next period together. Fortunately, he was not alone in the next class. But it was not Aleena. Instead, it was Maria this time. He tried getting a chance to talk with her about the girl he had become friends with, but he never found the time as the rest of the school day ran by rather quickly. Before long, he found himself gathering up his bag and heading out with all the other students for the end of the day.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Maria sighed as both of them made their way out of the school. "I think I even made a few couple friends. You?"

"Yeah. One friend. But I haven't seen her since lunch," Luke replied, gazing around the student body, hoping to spot her amongst them. Still, no sign of her around.

"Is that, that girl you mentioned before?" questioned Maria curiously.

"Yes. She's been very nice to me all day," explained Luke. He felt a bit of disappointment run through him. He wished he could have said goodbye, or exchanged household phone numbers as he knew would be customary for children their age. How else would they communicate again? Well, besides having classes together, he supposed.

"Oh, look, there's your mum," Maria said, jerking Luke out of his thoughts. He glanced towards the road ahead, seeing a line of cars parked for picking up students. One of them being Sarah Jane as she waved from the driver seat. Maria went to jog towards the car, waving in return happily. Luke trailed more behind, pondering over his dilemma with what happened to Aleena. At this moment, just as before, he just happened to glance over when seeing a familiar figure walk by.

It was Aleena, with glasses back on her face and holding her strange device in hand. She seemed to be investigating around the new science building. Whatever she was looking for, it seemed she had found its location as she smiled widely and looked very excited. Interested in what she found, he hurried over to her with his curiosity running high.

"Hi, Aleena, what have you found?" he questioned, coming over beside her after pushing his way through the crowd.

"Exactly where that supercell is. Wasn't able to pick up its location earlier because of too much interference inside the school. But outside, I got exactly what I need. Though getting back inside where it's at is going to be . . . challenging. Not that I don't like a challenge now and then." She said all of this without looking at him, seeming to stare intently at the building before them. A small grin was on her face for a moment before she swiftly turned to him, looking more serious now. "There's going to be a power outage tonight. But don't worry, it won't last long. I'll make certain of that. Don't know if I can dismantle their units tonight completely. I think I'll have a better idea what I'm up against tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" he questioned, trying to understand what she was talking about. Would it be anything he and Sarah Jane could help with? It did not sound exactly normal for human environment. The smile dropped from Aleena's face as she appeared more anxious now, tugging on her earlobe.

"Sorry . . . I said too much again. I tend to do that a lot . . . Look, just forget I said anything," she said quickly, stuffing her device back into her pocket along with her glasses. "In fact, forget about me. You and I never met. Got it?" She walked around the back of the building to leave, but Luke kept up with her.

"Why would you say that? Didn't today go well?" he asked, confused and feeling that maybe he had done something wrong. Had he made another social error? Aleena stopped, turning to face him with a sad expression.

"No, you're fine, Luke. In fact, you were completely cool," she said. "It's just . . . Like I said, I'm not someone you want to be around. People get hurt around me . . . and I can never stick around long enough to really be a good friend for them." Tugging on her earlobe, she shifted on the spot. "Not only that, but I wasn't supposed to be here today. I'm supposed to be off one another mission . . . but there's been some weird things with this Coldfire Construction company and—."

"Mission? You're on a mission?" His interest peaked greatly, feeling that there was most certainly something he could do to help Aleena with if there were an important mission she was on.

Aleena winced, realizing her mistake again. "Ah, bugger. Look, forget about it, okay? Just go off, be with your mum, and have a normal life, okay? It's better that way. Don't want to ruin your chance at a normal life." She laughed as though she said something funny, but the expression on her face said otherwise.

"I don't think you'd ruin anything. My life isn't exactly normal—," he tried to counter her claim.

"It's more normal than mine," she disputed, shaking her head and slowly backing away from him. "Just forget about me, Luke Smith, all right? Enjoy your life with Sarah Jane." She turned and left quickly.

It was just after she went around the corner of the building and disappeared that Luke realized he had never mentioned his mother's name to Aleena.

XxXxXxXx

Luke sat in the car ride back home in silence. His mind wrapped around the mysterious girl he had met today. Still, it seemed Maria had not seen Aleena at all. He almost began to wonder if he had just imagined her all day. Could that happen? He wondered if he should ask Sarah Jane to run tests on his mind to make certain he was not losing mental capacities. When they got home, he saw how Maria and her dad were together, chatting up in such a strange way. Though they seemed to laugh about it all, so that must be normal for a father and daughter. Or it could just be them. He would have to observe more to see the difference. Once inside the house, Sarah Jane made him some tea and dinner to have. He sat there in silence, thinking about everything that had happened today.

"Is everything all right, Luke?" Sarah Jane asked him while they sat at the table. "You're very quiet tonight."

"Sorry. I'm just thinking," he mumbled, pushing the contents on his plate around.

"Well, if you feel like talking, I'll be in the attic," Sarah Jane replied politely, smiling at him before getting up from the dinner table and placing her plate in the sink. It was a few minutes later, after he finished his meal and washed the dishes, that he finally joined Sarah Jane in her special attic. The very same one that held the super computer Mister Smith. Glancing over, he saw Sarah Jane sitting at her desk, staring intently at her computer. She must be doing investigations again for her job. She was always doing that.

"I kept making social mistakes today," he finally decided to say, wanting to start with one of the bigger concerns he had about the day.

"Oh, hang on, I made one, too," Sarah Jane replied, clicking out of a webpage she had been viewing before turning in her chair to face him. "Driving you to school when it's just 'round the corner, kissing you goodbye. Oh, we're both new hands at this."

"'If you got a parent who loves you that much, then don't let others make you feel like it's a bad thing,'" responded Luke.

Sarah Jane stared at him curiously in question. "What?"

"It's something this girl I met said. She said how she wished her mum had done the same when she had been dropped off at school. She never got any affection from her mother and wish that she had."

Sarah Jane smiled lightly. "You met someone new? Did you make a friend?"

Luke shrugged, feeling at a loss when it came to Aleena. He felt as though he should do as Aleena said and 'forget about her' as requested. He did not wish to make Aleena troubled by not doing as asked. At the same time, however, he felt . . . drawn to her. Like he was supposed to be friends with her no matter what. "I don't know. Other than Maria and Clyde, she was nice to me all day. She helped me pick up my things when someone knocked my bag off. She even said that I was cool. But she didn't seem to want to be friends with me, even after being with me all day. Said how she wouldn't be a good friend for me and to forget about her. But she looked so sad when she said that. Why would she be sad?"

"Perhaps she's just as afraid of making new friends as you are. Is she new to school as well?" Seeing Luke nod, she smiled. "Anyone is nervous starting a new school, a new job. I've never been a mum before and look at me, a nervous wreck. She's most likely just as nervous as we are," Sarah Jane suggested, smiling kindly. "Maybe you should talk to her again at school. See how she feels during a fresh new day."

Luke felt disheartened by this suggestion. Especially when Aleena had talked as though they would not see each other again tomorrow. "But what if I say the wrong thing? What if she doesn't want to talk to me? What if I make a mistake trying to be friends with her?"

Sarah Jane stood up, holding his arms in a comforting gesture. "If she's really meant to be your friend, then I don't think she'll care about mistakes. She'll like you just the way you are. Maria does. And so do I. Remember, you saved the world the day you were born. Not many people can say that. If you can do something like that, then making new friends won't be trouble at all."

Luke frowned heavily, feeling even more uncertain now. "No one else can say that. That's the problem. Nobody else is like me. So how can I make friends with normal people when I'm so . . . abnormal?" Before Sarah Jane could say anything to this, her computer made a noise. Luke glanced at it. "What are you doing?"

"Checking up on the firm who built your new block." She steered him over to sit at the desk, getting him to see all kinds of articles and blueprints from the firm and the school construction. "Coldfire Construction."

Instantly, that name rang a bell in Luke's head. "'Coldfire Construction'?"

"Yes. Did you hear about it at school?"

Shaking his head, he held a puzzled expression as he looked at the screen. "No, that girl I told you about. She mentioned it. She said how she had been on a mission when they caught her interest with strange things that had been happening with them."

At this, Sarah Jane blinked, raising a sharp brow. "'Mission'? She said she had been on a mission?"

"Yes. She didn't say what for, though, sorry." Luke stared at the screen, reading the article quickly, scanning his eyes over the page. "She had been using this device all day, scanning the school. She also mentioned something about a 'high-powered supercell unit' and that was the reason why the school smelled."

Sarah Jane stayed very quiet for a moment as a serious expression crossed her face. "Did you happen to catch this girl's name by any chance?"

"Yes, it's Aleena. Aleena Tate." Luke turned to her, seeing the expression on her face. "Do you know her?"

"No, but . . ." Pondering for a moment, Sarah Jane straightened and held a stern face. "Luke, if you see this girl again, I want you to stay away from her. Do you understand?"

This took Luke by surprise. If he was baffled before, this only made his mind reel in the sudden change in Sarah Jane's demeanour and attitude. "But I thought you said I should talk to her and be friends? Do you know her?"

"No, but I have a feeling she's involved somehow with what's happening with all these schools. If she's dangerous, I don't want you to get hurt. In fact, perhaps I should come to school with you tomorrow and do some investigations."

Luke watched as Sarah Jane began formulating a plan of action. Just like she always seemed to do when she got involved with her investigations. Just then, the power went out. Both of them were thrown into darkness as everything shut down. The street lights outside the house also went out, making the night seem eerie. Sarah Jane came around Luke, tapping on the keyboard of her computer. She then gave a loud sigh.

"Oh, I should have saved my work," she muttered. Luke's mind raced, sitting up straight in the chair.

"It's just like she said," Luke said quickly. "Aleena mentioned there was going to be a power outage. She also said not to worry, that she was going to make sure it wouldn't last long and that she would stop it from happening again." He watched as Sarah Jane looked at a wrist watch of some kind on her, taping on it and seeing how it too was not working.

"So, you're saying this girl acted like she was trying to stop something from happening at the school?"

"More like prevent it, I think."

Humming for a moment, Sarah Jane seemed to think carefully on this. "So, this girl knows something about Coldfire Construction, and knows there's something happening at the school that's causing the power outage."

"Do you think she has anything to do with it?"

"I don't know."

Sarah Jane hummed again, thinking it over once again before speaking. "Either way, until we know how she is involved, I think it's best you stay clear of this Aleena Tate."

XxXxXxXx

What did I tell you, fun right? lol Aww things are getting mighty interesting now. At least, I hope they are. Let me know if things are interesting or not in a review if you could. If not, that's always fine. I'm just always happy to know how everyone is doing and that everything is going good. :)

Reviewers:

 **Isabelnecessaryonabicycle** : I know. :( I really wish they could have had that. But at least Aleena always has her dad there for her. Hope you like the new chapter! Until next time!

 **bored411** : So glad you liked it! Oooo, Ireland. Sounds like a blast. I hear the heat has been crazy over in that area though. Hope you're staying cool enough. Please take care!

 **FREYA ASTRID NOVA** : Wow indeed. Aww, thank you so much. You're awesome. :) So happy that you like her! I'm still worried that people won't like her as much as they did with Wanda. Or just won't like her at all. But glad to see that she's good for many so far. :) The identity struggle will be an issue for our poor Aleena. Too many conflicts when it comes to being a Wanderer/Time Lord raised in a human world, I think. lol She is definitely her parent's daughter, that's for certain. Ooh? Torchwood you say? ;) Really glad to see from you again, and hope to see you soon in the next chapter. Take care!

Thank you again readers! Also Happy July 4th in the USA and Happy Canada Day from our neighbors to the north. :) And a happy holiday to anyone else who is celebrating or has celebrated this past week. Take care to all!

~Tinker~


	8. Ch 8: Revenge Plans

Helloooooo, readers!

So good to see you all again. Hope things have been going well since the last time we saw each other. Please enjoy the new chapter and take care!

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 8: Revenge Plans

Luke finished his last class before lunch period. He sighed as he stuffed his things back into his bag and shuffled off to head towards the club he had signed up for. He hoped he would feel better after spending some time doing something enjoyable. So far, the other students only snickered and laughed at him with almost everything it felt like. He still felt confused about why they found almost everything he did as 'funny.' He was also confused with the one class he had with Clyde in why the other kids found 'trouble' as humourous. There was still so much he felt he needed to learn to be like all the others and make true friends here. Though, all of this was not what made him feel rather dejected. There was also the fact that even though he promised Sarah Jane he would not interact with Aleena today, he still wanted to see her. He felt bad, conflicted, that he still wanted to see the strange girl when his mother wished against it.

He stumbled a bit when someone bumped into him from behind. Keeping his footing, he heard laughter followed by seeing a few boys pass him by. They were rather tall and burly and smirked rudely as they walked past him.

"Watch it, freak," one of the larger boys said while all the rest chortled crudely. Luke frowned as his spirits lowered even more.

Suddenly, all of the boys tripped and fell onto the ground in a heap. A passing teacher holding a bucket of some sort of liquid for a science class suddenly gasped as the bucket just seemed to fly out of their hands before they too fell to the ground. The bucket arched in the air before tumbling down, spilling its slimy contents all over the rude boys. Each one of them made exclaims in alarm and disgust as they tried getting up but kept stumbling and tripping over each other as the slim made the floor a slippery mess. Every student in the hall barked in laughter, pointing at the boys as the messy scene continued. Luke could only blink, wondering how all of this happened in a matter of seconds.

"Yo, Luke, what's happening?"

He blinked out of his shock when seeing a grinning Aleena standing beside him. She had her arms crossed and smirked rather proudly as though she had done something fun just now. When did she get here? How had he not noticed?

"An accident happened just a moment ago," he stated, pointing at the boys. Aleena smirked even more.

"Yeah, I saw. Serves them right for making fun of you. Though that's not exactly what I meant when I asked you 'what's happening,'" she replied smoothly, throwing an arm around his shoulder as she steered him away from the scene before them.

"Then why would you ask that?" he questioned with his curiosity outweighing the reminder his mind tried to tell him about the promise he had made to Sarah Jane.

"It's just a way to ask how you're doing and if everything's been fine. You can respond 'everything's everything' if you've been doing great and have nothing to report." Aleena winked at him, giving him a bright smile as she began to walk backward to face him. "So, where are you heading?"

Luke did not answer her for a moment, taking in her appearance. She looked exactly like she did yesterday. Right down to the very small ketchup stain on her white button-up shirt. It was almost as though she had not left school at all. His promise to Sarah Jane popped into his mind again. He should keep to his promise . . . "I'm going to a lunchtime science club meeting."

"Science! Groovy! Let's go!" She turned around, skipping forward down the hallway with a laugh trailing behind her.

Adjusting the bag on his shoulder, Luke ignored his anxious mind and continued on. He wondered if maybe Sarah Jane might have been just too cautious in thinking Aleena was dangerous. She was a kid just like him. How dangerous could she be?

When Luke arrived, Aleena was already in a seat. She smiled at him, patting the seat beside her eagerly. He sat down, glancing at her before looking at the whiteboard in front. No one else was in the room yet. They were all alone. He felt even more nervous now. Should he leave? Yes, he signed up for the club, but he also promised Sarah Jane to stay away from this girl. Then why did he feel as though he should stay and talk with Aleena even more than before? Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he looked over to see a rather guilty looking Aleena.

"Sorry about yesterday, by the way. I was . . . a total square," she said, sounding deeply sorry. "Look . . . you're totally awesome, okay? Don't think I'm not wanting to be friends with you . . . I just don't think you'd want to be friends with me after . . . well, after you get to know me." She looked away, twisting her hands together while she rested her arms on the counter in front of them. "Almost everyone does. Once they get to know me, they tend to run away and hide." Now she looked very sad. Even sadder than yesterday.

He could only stare at her, feeling empathy for her. It was just like Sarah Jane had said. Aleena was just as scared making friends as he was. "You're as nervous as I am in making friends," he stated in observation.

"Well . . . yeah, just a bit." She rubbed a hand at the back of her neck, ruffling her hair a bit. Glancing at him, she smiled hesitantly. "Think we could be buddies? Until I gotta leave again, of course."

"I think so." At least this way he would be keeping his promise to Sarah Jane. Once Aleena was gone, he would no longer be around her. Until then, he could talk to Aleena and figure out what she wanted to investigate from this school. In fact, he found he wanted to as well. If something bad was happening here, should he not look into it like Sarah Jane did?

Aleena blinked as she stared at him, then slowly smiled. "Okay. Glad you came to that conclusion. So . . . when's this science club supposed to start?"

Just then, Mister Jeffery, the teacher Luke had for science class, stepped into the room. The teacher smiled largely at them with a strange glee in his eye. Luke sat up straight to be polite. Aleena slumped forward with her elbow resting on the counter and chin in her palm. Her brown eyes stared at the man coolly, keeping a steady gaze on him.

"Welcome to Lunchtime Science Club," greeted Mister Jeffery. "I had hoped for a slightly higher turnout, but never mind."

"Maybe it had something to do with having a club during lunchtime," Aleena spoke up, earning the teacher's attention. "Most ankle biters don't take kindly to getting their lunchtime interrupted. Even if the lunch is too foul to eat." Mister Jeffery narrowed his eyes, staring at the girl in annoyance before looking confused.

"And who are you? I don't remember you from class," said the teacher.

"Aleena," replied the girl smoothly. "There was a mix up with my paperwork. I'm not on the registry. Talk to Grace upfront. She's trying to straighten it out." Luke glanced at her, remembering this was the same thing she said yesterday whenever a teacher was confused by her being in class. He wondered how her paperwork had been mixed up. Just then, the door to the lab opened and in stepped a rather husky student.

"Hi. I'm Carl," greeted the boy as he walked in and sat near Luke. The two nodded at him before giving their attention back to Mister Jeffery. The man turned over to a nearby desk, grabbing large clear slides of some kind. Going back to the board, he then placed each on top of each other while speaking.

"Take a look at this," he said while doing this. "Over the summer, I've been having tons of jolly fun working on a new project. What do you make of this?" He turned on the light of the small board, showing them all the designs on the slides. Luke and Carl stood up to get a closer look. Aleena just sat there, staring intently at it. Luke frowned as he stared at it. It looked like blueprints of some kind. How strange though. But he did not think too much of it as Mister Jeffery did say he created them.

"It's a model for a giant capacitor system," Luke said to the teacher.

"And purely theoretical, of course," added Mister Jeffery. "Nobody could possibly build anything like this for real."

"Of course, has to be theoretical," spoke up Aleena, earning everyone's attention. She held the same steady gaze as before, right on Mister Jeffery. "The 21st century is nowhere near this kind of technology yet. I mean, not unless it's extraterrestrial." She then smiled real big when Mister Jeffery suddenly looked nervous. "I'm just messing with you, Mister Jeffery. Obviously, there can't be aliens running around this school, making giant capacitors, right?" She let out a laugh and wink, smiling even more.

"Right," Mister Jeffery said after clearing his throat.

"You designed this?" Luke asked curiously, not really thinking much about what Aleena had just noted.

"Yes, I'm wasted here," Mister Jeffery joked. "Do you like it?"

"It's amazing," Luke complimented politely.

"It's pretty neato," Aleena spoke up beside Luke. He blinked in surprise, not even realizing when she had come over to stand next to him. She had her hands in her pockets, staring at the blueprints in a very inquisitive way. "Though it has a fault, doesn't it?"

"You're right," Luke agreed with her as both of them got closer to the slides. "With this you could store huge amounts of electrical energy. But there's a loophole."

"Yep," Aleena said with a pop in the 'p' as she pointed at the spot on the diagram. "The storage here won't be able to stabilize." She smiled lightly. "Something which could have been made worse if, say, I don't know, a person decided to stamper with a few circuits in the secondary storage over here." She pointed at the other storage, glancing over at Mister Jeffery when he frowned heavily, giving him a bright smile. "All theoretical, of course."

"Yes, well . . . that's my problem," muttered the man.

"What, someone tampering with the secondary storage?" Aleena questioned lightly. She blinked as though talking very innocently about all of this. Though there was a slight spark in her eyes as she stared at the grumbling teacher.

"It's wrong here," Luke said, not really paying attention to the seeming conflict between Aleena and teacher. He pointed at the spot on the blueprint, frowning as his mind raced to correct the problem. "You need to add an equation into the computer control." He moved quickly, grabbing a nearby marker and began writing on the whiteboard; his mind speeding through the equation as he wrote it swiftly down. He turned to the others with a smile after he was finished. Aleena came up, giving him a happy clap on his back.

"Brilliant job there, Luke!" she praised with a bright smile. "Though, it's missing a little something." She took the marker from him and added a small negative sign to the 'v' at the end of his equation. "There. That'll help with any future fluctuations." Luke frowned as he stared at it. That could not be right. The equation would still work fine, but having the negative there will make it so after a few minutes . . .

"But that's—," he tried correcting her, but winced as she suddenly stepped hard on his foot and gave him this sort of look that he assumed meant for him to stay quiet. Something which went unnoticed by Mister Jeffery and Carl as they just stared at the equation on the board in awe.

"Well, if that's all for today, Mister Jeffery, I think me and Luke here are gonna head to lunch before all the food's gone. Later!" Aleena said very quickly before wrapping an arm around Luke's and steering him out of Lab A. He stumbled along as she moved very fast down the halls, weaving them around different students who were mingling about. Soon, they came into a secluded corner of the hallway before finally stopping. Aleena let out a sigh, turning to Luke. "Sorry about that. Couldn't let him know that my changes wouldn't work."

"But why would you do that? It ruins his project," Luke replied, staring at her in puzzlement as to why she would purposely go against a teacher's project (or anyone's for that matter).

Aleena glanced around as though to make certain they would not be overheard before looking at him again. "Remember the power going out last night? Well, he and a few others are the reason for it. Now, I was able to make enough adjustments to their power units so it would happen. But there was a fault already in their system, so I didn't have to do much work."

"So, you did stop the power outage," Luke responded, looking at her in interest. "You're trying to stop something bad from happening."

"Well, of course. Why else would I be investigating this place and skulking around a school? Do you think I'd ever go to a school _willingly_? I've only done that a few other times decades ago—mostly just to get knowledge, though there was the one time with Rose Tyler 'cause I wanted to get to know her . . . anyway—and, trust me, I don't plan on doing it again just for the hell of it."

"'Decades'?" He blinked in astonishment, staring at her in pure bafflement.

Aleena winced. "Ah, forget I said anything." She walked away fast, going through the hallway and weaving her way amongst the students.

Luke pushed his way through, trying to keep up with her. "But what do you mean? And what's happening here? What are you trying to stop?"

"Sorry, Luke, but the less you know, the better." Aleena looked back at him briefly. "I don't want you to get hurt, so just . . . go be with your other friends and enjoy the day. Let me handle this."

He tried to protest, to catch up with her. But the crowd of the students became a mess, bumping into him and making him fall back from Aleena. Before long, she disappeared into the crowd, vanishing from his sight in a blink.

XxXxXxXx

As Luke began to walk out of the building at the end of the day along with his fellow peers, he could not help but keep his eyes cast down as he just could not find himself feeling too happy about the day. Sure, classes were getting better, but the incident with Aleena just made him worried. Plus the girl truly seemed to want to be friends with him but was just too nervous about it all. Just like Sarah Jane said. He wondered if he could ask his mother if they could come back and help Aleena with what she was investigating here at the school. He was certain Sarah Jane would want to assist. After all, she did say that she was starting to investigate the school and other schools this morning.

"Someone doesn't look too happy."

Luke looked over, seeing Maria walking beside him and staring at him in concern.

"Still not getting along in school?" she asked him.

"No, school was fine," Luke responded, showing her that he was not all that down by giving her a smile. "It's just . . . I met up with Aleena again."

"That girl who said she didn't want to be friends?"

"Yes. I feel as though she wishes to talk to me, but she says she's trying to keep me safe by keeping her distance. It has something to do with this school. Said she's trying to investigate and stop something from happening." Both glanced back at the school, feeling a sense of dread while staring at it.

Maria looked back at Luke with certainty. "I guess it's perfecting timing for us, then. Sarah Jane phoned me, she wants us to look inside the new block."

"Perfect." Luke smiled, feeling more confident with his spirits lifting. "This gives us a chance to find Aleena and help her. I'm certain Sarah Jane would want us to help anyone who's also investigating."

"What are you doing?"

Luke and Maria both slumped forward as arms wrapped around their shoulders. Each of them glanced over to see a grinning Clyde holding onto them. Maria instantly looked annoyed while Luke just blinked in surprise.

"We're gonna investigate the new block," Luke told Clyde truthfully. He blinked when Maria sent him a 'look' though. Something told him he was not supposed to say that.

"I left something in the new block," Maria said quickly, correcting Luke's mistake. Clyde just stared at them both in suspicion now. Maria hurried off, ready to get to work. Luke was about to follow but was kept back by Clyde.

"What is it with you and her?" questioned the boy. "I've seen weird people, I know weird people. But you two? You're beyond weird." Something about this statement and Clyde's attitude struck a nerve in Luke. The only thing Luke could think to describe it was . . . annoyance. The first time he ever felt that way. He frowned at Clyde and moved his shoulder to get the boy to let go of him.

"Go find some normal people, then," he replied, keeping his tone polite and to the point. He then marched off, feeling Clyde still following right after him. But Luke paid him not much mind. Even when Clyde began to question him on all the usual things he suspected fellow kids would ask: where one is from, where they had gone to school prior, and so forth. He answered all of Clyde's questions truthfully, not really caring if the boy found them weird. Luke only wished to focus on the task at hand and figure out the mystery of the school. His mind spun in its work, trying to figure out what might be wrong with the new block. There had been something bugging him since coming to the school. Something off about the building's structure. Aleena had even mentioned it as well. The layout of it was incorrect. So that meant . . .

Eventually, he found it. The small hallway that led to an empty white wall. It was blank but looked as though there were panels hidden behind the paint as there were creases in the wall. Clyde seemed to have an enough by this point, leaving Luke to pace as he tried to think of a way inside whatever laid behind the walls. He could tell there was more space behind this wall. It made sense as he knew from the outside there was much more to this building. There had to be more space in this point of which he stood. Only question was how to get in. He even found himself muttering out loud as his mind raced for a solution. Finally, as his hand trailed along to feel the wall where he knew a handle should be, the wall slid to the side and opened, revealing to him a gloomy, grey hallway on the other side. He hesitated only for a moment before stepping inside.

It was the missing piece of the building all right. It was much longer than any other of the rooms in the new block. With steel, grey walls lining all the sides, wiring all strung about above on the ceiling, and control stations everywhere—which gave off electrical charges—with advanced computer systems that he knew could not be normal for schools. Mostly because he studied what most schools in London had for computer equipment. Nothing in this room matched what he had studied. If anything, if he had any guesses at all, he would actually say that all of this matched Mister Jeffery's schematics from earlier. So, Aleena had been right. Mister Jeffery had something to do with this. This only made Luke wonder what other teachers were involved from the school.

"So, Luke, how do you like our little science project?"

The boy looked over quickly upon hearing the voice. His eyes widened in shock and alarm when seeing Mister Blakeman, the headmaster, standing just down the way by a few more control monitors. The man smiled sinisterly as he stared at Luke. A shiver went down the boy's spine as he felt almost as though Mister Blakeman were staring at him . . . hungrily. As though the man wished to consume him in some way. Knowing what sort of creatures there could be out there in the universe (something Sarah Jane had him study over), Luke did not doubt that this man possibly could consume him in some manner. In fact, Luke's mind began to race through all the different ways species from outside Earth did consume humans. As his mind whirled and his body stayed frozen on the spot in fear, Mister Blakeman began to stalk towards him with a large smirk on his face.

"Come on, boy. Don't you want to get a closer look?" the man sneered at him, his voice almost rumbling in how he talked. Luke stood there on the spot, staring at the man who stalked slowly towards him. He felt it. This man wanted to kill him. His racing heart and hairs standing on end told him of this instinctual knowledge of when a predator had him cornered. Before the flight response could kick in, he felt a hand grab his in a tight hold. He looked over quickly to his right, seeing Aleena right there with an urgent expression.

"Run, dummy!"

She did not have to tell him twice. His body finally reacted, going into the flight response and running beside her as they bolted from the room. The same time Blakeman launched himself at them, letting out a wild snarl of some sort. Neither one looked back. It was too risky as it might give the headmaster more chances to get them. It was only until the metal door that was hidden in the wall slid behind them in their escape did their bodies ease somewhat. Though neither one stopped running, too focused on getting as far away as possible in case of anything else coming after them. It was eventually that they came across Maria and Clyde in the entrance area of the block, who also appeared to be running for their lives.

"Hello! You must be Luke's girlfriend Maria!" Aleena greeted brightly once she and Luke came to a halt beside the two others, with a demeanour as though running for their lives were just a normal exercise.

"Girlfriend?!" Maria exclaimed in shock, blinking at Aleena in disbelief. "I am _not_ his girlfriend."

"Oh! Sorry, I forget this generation doesn't use that as a friendship term," Aleena apologized, giving a sheepish smile. "Would you prefer 'lady friend'?"

"Just 'friend', thanks," responded Maria, frowning a bit in confusion at Aleena.

"Hey, can we focus on getting out of here?!" Clyde yelled, in clear panic and fright from what he and Maria had just gone through. "That _thing_ is coming to kill us!" The four of them ran to the doors to the front doors to the new block. The doors stayed in place when Maria and Clyde yanked on them. They were locked in. Clyde started to panic even more. "It's locked!"

"This place is sealed. You're finished, right here, right now," they all heard the echoing voice of Carl coming from behind them. They also heard the sound of scraping claws dragging across the tile floor in the distance. Whatever was running towards them, it was large and powerful.

"Everyone, stand back!" Aleena yelled, pushing the three others away from the doors. They backed away, watching as Aleena sucked in a breath before throwing out her hand towards the doors. The glass shattered, and the metal frame was flung away from the doorframe. The first section of doors crashed into the second and even those were shattered and thrown back. The four twisted doors landed quite the distance into the parking lot. The three teenagers blinked, looking back at Aleena in utter shock. She grimaced as she lowered her hand. "Oops. Think I used a little too much force there."

"But how—?" Luke tried to ask but was interrupted when they heard a wild snarl from Carl come behind them.

"Don't worry about it, just run!" Aleena yelled, yanking him out with the other two just behind them. The four of them ran across the schoolyard, getting themselves as far away from the place as they could. Just behind them, they could hear the snarls of Carl and Mister Jeffery. No one looked behind to see what exactly the two inhuman beings looked like. All too focused on escaping from the danger. Luke's mobile phone began to ring at this time, but he had no chance of answering it without having to slow down. So, he kept running, just focusing on keeping his hand locked with Aleena's. Alarm went through him when she suddenly let go and stopped, letting the three teenagers get behind her. They all halted, staring at her in shock.

"You three, keeping running! I'll slow them down!" Aleena ordered them all, narrowing her eyes dangerously as the two massive green aliens with long, muscular arms that had massive sharp claws on the end, and a mouth full of sharp teeth running towards them from the school. It was hard to believe that these beings were once Carl and Mister Jeffery. But they were fast, almost upon them now.

"Aleena, wait!" Luke tried protesting, going towards her.

"Just go!" Aleena shouted as she ran back towards the green aliens. Luke was yanked back as Clyde and Maria dragged him back. He had no choice but follow along with them. He only happened to glance back, seeing Aleena fling out her hand and the two large green aliens flying backwards. Each of them were almost flung all the way back towards the school itself. Mister Blakeman, who had been coming out of the building, was thrown back as well. The sound of screeching car tires alerted Luke to stare towards the road. He felt relief when seeing Sarah Jane come speeding up to the three teenagers, halting the vehicle on the side of the road and jumping out of the car.

"Into the car!" she yelled at them. The three rushed forward, immediately scrambling to get into the car. Sarah Jane looked at Clyde in surprise. "What is he doing here?"

"Sorry," Maria said to Sarah Jane before climbing into the back seat after Clyde.

"Someone else's life in my hands, just what I needed!" Sarah Jane exclaimed in exasperation as she got back into the driver seat. Luke did not get into the vehicle just yet, staring off towards Aleena and seeing how she was keeping the large aliens back from getting to them still.

"Aleena!" he shouted. The girl looked back at him, seeing the car just there. Glancing back at the two aliens briefly, she then bolted over to the car.

"Mind if I catch a lift?" she asked rapidly, not even waiting to hear an answer as she practically threw herself into the back with Maria and Clyde. Luke got into the car after this, just glad that all of his friends were okay in the end. As Sarah Jane had them speed off, they heard the scrapping of claws along the side as one of the large aliens tried to smash into them. But Sarah Jane easily managed to get them away from the school before anything happened to them.

"Damn, Slitheen," Luke heard Aleena muttering from the backseat. He looked over, seeing her squished between Maria and Clyde. She was rubbing at her temples, leaning forward a bit and looking as though she were a mix between being in pain and going to be sick. "Why do the Raxacoricofallapatorian have to weigh so much? Ugh. I'm not going to be able to travel anywhere for a while."

"So, you're Aleena Tate I presume?" Sarah Jane asked carefully, glancing back at the brunette.

"How did you do that? How did you throw those things back, and the doors, and the—," Clyde began to question rapidly, staring at Aleena in awe. But Maria quickly shushed him. Aleena looked up slowly, smiling nervously at Sarah Jane.

"Um . . . Yes, ma'am," she answered politely. "I'm a new transfer to school—."

"You can cut the lies right now," Sarah Jane scoffed, "I know you're not a student there. You're not even on records."

"There was a mix-up with her registry," Luke explained, hoping to help Aleena in explaining herself.

"No, there wasn't," Sarah Jane answered evenly, her eyes staring hard towards the road in front of them. "The name 'Aleena Tate' doesn't even exist anywhere on record in London. So, tell me, is that even your real name?"

Aleena was quiet for a moment, before letting out a sigh, glancing at Luke as he stared at her in surprise. "It's my real name . . . I just won't be registered anywhere because, well, I'm not supposed to be. I can't really . . . be traced back in case I get discovered and . . . other stuff."

"Ah. So, then, you must work for Torchwood. I thought so. You lot always are so arrogant."

"What's Torchwood?" Luke asked curiously.

"An organization that I don't want us any part of," Sarah Jane answered tensely, her eyes growing hard as she stared at the road. Confusion went through Luke as he did not understand why Sarah Jane would seem so angry about such an organization. Glancing back at Aleena, he was surprised to see how . . . sad she looked. The girl kept her eyes averted down, staring at her knees, while her posture was slumped as though something horrible had happened.

It was only a moment later that they arrived at Sarah Jane's home. Luke got out the same time Sarah Jane did, allowing the three people from the back of the car to step out as well. Aleena appeared rather reluctant to step out of the vehicle, staring at Sarah Jane in uncertainty. But she placed on an even face, gazing at the woman in a calm, polite manner.

"So, you know who those aliens are?" Sarah Jane asked her, crossing her arms as she stared at Aleena.

"Yeah, they're the Slitheen from Raxacoricofallapatorius," Aleena replied, her voice rather subdued and quiet. "I've . . . dealt with them before."

Sarah Jane began to type into the small computer wristwatch that she wore, walking away from the group. She paused, glancing back at Aleena. "I want you to tell me everything you know. Something you should have done in the beginning."

Aleena nodded and followed along after Sarah Jane. Luke followed as well, still glancing at the girl as they went into the house and up into the attic. He still felt strangely concerned as Aleena just seemed so down. Like the same way he had felt when the kids at school had made fun of him. He wondered why that was. As well as why Sarah Jane seemed so tense and curt with the girl. Was this normal behaviour of Sarah Jane around new people?

"So, who are these 'Slitheen'?" Sarah Jane began to question the moment they were in her attic. "What are they doing here? Do you know?"

"They're a wealthy family from Raxacoricofallapatorius," Aleena began to explain as quickly as she could. "Or, at least, they used to be wealthy. They ran the government there for a while until they were kicked out after an uprising. Now they're just a bunch of criminals causing trouble throughout the universe. Mostly harmless as they're only focused on scavenging. But lately, they've been bolder in trying to gain back political power over Raxacoricofallapatorius. You know about the incident on Downing Street, right?"

"Yes, but what does that tell us about what they're doing now?" Sarah Jane questioned, frowning as she typed this all quickly into her wrist computer. Luke glanced over the woman's shoulder, seeing that she was looking up all this information on the Slitheen as well. Why was she doing that? Was she double-checking Aleena's information?

"Easy. They want to absorb energy from Sun, destroy the Earth, and make a profit out of it all so they can take a whole mess of ships back to their homeworld for another power struggle in their government, hoping to take back control and be the leading family on the planet." Silence rang through the room as Luke and Sarah Jane stared at Aleena in alarm. The relaxed demeanour on the girl changed as she shifted on the spot and tugged on her earlobe. "But, I mean . . . I wasn't going to let it happen. I had it all under control."

"All life of the entire Earth is at stake and _you_ have it all under control?" Sarah Jane retorted, looking very cross now. "You nearly got yourself and the others killed tonight by the Slitheen."

"Actually, Sarah Jane, she saved us," Luke spoke up, feeling the need to correct the situation as he felt there was a misunderstanding.

"Yeah, I mean, she blasted those doors to let us escape," came the voice of Clyde. The three in the room glanced over to see Clyde and Maria coming into the attic. "We'd be Slitheen food by now if it wasn't for her." The boy began to gaze around the attic in surprise, looking at all the strange gadgets that were throughout the room. Sarah Jane frowned at Maria, making said girl blush in embarrassment.

"Why don't you bring 'round the whole school?" spoke Sarah Jane sarcastically.

"If he tells anyone, who's gonna believe him?" Maria countered, waving a hand at Clyde in exasperation.

"And for your information, if I had been told beforehand about aliens being a part of all this, then none of you would have been in danger in the first place," Sarah Jane disputed to Clyde's earlier claim.

"Well, it's not like I knew you were also investigating anything," Aleena spoke up in a mutter, shifting on her feet.

"Wait, wait, wait," Clyde spoke up, stopping anyone from saying anything else, "I've just had monsters from outer space on my back and no-one's telling me what's going—." He was shushed by Sarah Jane, making him frown heavily.

"Right, so, the Slitheen have taken over Coldfire Construction and placed up buildings all over the world to harvest the energy from the Sun," the woman began to speak rapidly, pacing a bit even as she thought it all over. "How? That's the question."

"Again, easy," said Aleena, shrugging a bit, "they've made connecting sites throughout the world in major cities using the subway lines as cooling for their system's output. Each one's connected and when they activate their powers together, then, well . . . out go the lights." She began tugging on her earlobe again, looking sheepish as Sarah Jane gave her a stern expression. "Look, I had a plan, all right."

"Oh? And what plan was this?" questioned Sarah Jane. "How were you going to stop the destruction of Earth?"

"The equation," Luke blurted out quickly, smiling as he knew now why Aleena had given the Slitheen the wrong formula. "Today, during lunchtime science club, Mister Jeffery asked us to solve the problem to their—."

"—catalyst solution," Aleena added, smiling and nodding at Luke. "Their capacitors wouldn't line up properly before. But now they can after Luke and I gave them the solution."

"So, you helped the aliens destroy the Earth?" Clyde asked slowly, staring at the two in utter shock.

"No, we didn't," Luke said quickly. "Aleena changed the equation so it won't work for them once all sites are connected. It'll send a short that will diffuse all sites once they've connected—."

"—rendering them all useless and thus destroys all of their hard work," Aleena finished proudly, smiling brightly at Luke. "So, they think the equation is going to work. Their systems are going to think so, too. But once they do connect them all together, the main site will malfunction and be disabled."

"And you've been working to counteract the backlash of energy during your investigations," Luke added, feeling confident that Aleena truly did have it all under control. But then Aleena's smile slowly faded as a look of shock crossed her face.

"Uh-oh," she breathed.

"'Uh-oh'?" Sarah Jane repeated, raising a brow at the girl.

"I forgot to factor that in," Aleena muttered. She gave her forehead a slap and let out a sound of frustration. "Gah! So stupid! I'm such an idiot stick!"

"Wait, so what happens if there's a backlash?" Maria asked, looking back and forth between Luke and Aleena. The two glanced at each other. Luke feeling surprised that Aleena had not thought of that while the brunette girl just looked completely humiliated.

"It can possibly cause a chain reaction between all sites, making them all go into a meltdown," explained Luke.

"That's good, though, right? I mean, gets rid of them all," said Clyde, not at all fazed by the worried expressions on Luke and Aleena.

"Not without taking out about ten city blocks that each site is located at," Aleena said in a gush of breath. She clapped her hands and had a determined expression. "No worries! We just get back there, and I can correct the problem!" With a quick burst of speed, she left the attic and rushed downstairs. Luke went after her immediately, wanting to help her. He found her in the kitchen, rushing around the place and gathering up different things.

"What do you need?" he asked, wanting to help her along.

"Anything vinegar," she said in a rush. "These guys are calcium-based in their genetic makeup, so vinegar will—."

"—react with calcium because it's an acetic acid," Luke finished for her, working fast to help her along as he knew what she was now doing. He pulled out empty spray bottles from under the kitchen sink, placing them on the table where Aleena had been gathering anything vinegar-based from the cupboards and refrigerator. Together, they began to pour the liquid contents from the jars of olives, pickles, pickled eggs, and even just one jar of white vinegar for cleaning. While they were working, the power in the house went out. Already the Slitheen were starting their work. It was then that Sarah Jane and the other two came into the kitchen, blinking in shock at the mess Luke and Aleena had created.

"So what're we gonna do, just stand there and throw pickled eggs at them?" Clyde asked sarcastically, looking sceptical at the work Luke and Aleena were doing.

"Aleena figured it out," Luke explained quickly as the girl began to hand everyone their own bottle. "We can use vinegar to fight against the Slitheen since their calcium-based lifeforms."

"We don't really have to squirt them, either," Aleena said, grinning as she held a large squirt bottle in hand. "Just give enough of a spray to frighten them off if they try to attack. It'll give us enough leverage to get inside the hidden chamber to shut down the machine and rewrite the program to self-destruct without blowing the entire block to pieces." She flipped up her wrist, glancing at a watch that Luke just now noticed she had on. It was a strange watch, golden around the sides, and the surface was that of tiny planets instead of the hour and minute hands. "We've got only a small window of time to get there before the chain reaction begins. So, we should really hurry."

"The car's not gonna start," Maria added, looking at Sarah Jane for answers. "How are we going to get back to school?"

"We run," Sarah Jane answered simply.

"Groovy! Let's go!" Aleena exclaimed brightly, beginning to run out the door. But Sarah Jane blocked her path with arms crossed and staring at her sternly. The bright smile on Aleena's face slowly faded before letting out a sigh. "Right. I'm not welcomed to help."

"No," Sarah Jane said with a shake of her head. She did not sound angry, but she did not sound at all happy, either. Luke blinked in shock, staring at his adoptive mother in confusion.

"Why can't Aleena help us?" he questioned.

"Because a long time ago I let Torchwood help me once. I'm not about to make that same mistake again," Sarah Jane answered evenly, holding out her hand for Aleena to give her the squirt bottle the girl held. The girl reluctantly handed it over, staring down in dejection.

"It was . . . just a mistake last time," muttered Aleena. "I . . . Torchwood is better now."

"Thank you for all your help up to this point. But we've got it covered from here," Sarah Jane replied, not answering to the girl's statement. Luke could only stare at his adoptive mother in disbelief. He felt so confused. Why would Sarah Jane not let Aleena help? That seemed highly detrimental to their current situation. Would it not be more logical to take help where it was offered?

"But Aleena's helped us through so much," he argued. "Why can't she help us stop the Slitheen? We might not be able to do it on our own."

"Yeah, what if we need her to throw them back again like she did before," Clyde added, frowning as he too stared at Sarah Jane in confusion to her strange decision. Maria just sort of shuffled on her feet, looking uncomfortable. It appeared she wanted to side more with Sarah Jane on this, but also did not wish to say anything that would anger Luke or Clyde her only two friends.

"Because the technology she used to do that will be useless now that the Slitheen activated their little machines," Sarah Jane answered smoothly. She looked at Aleena, seeing the girl standing there in shame. "Am I right?" Aleena opened her mouth for a moment before reluctantly closing it and nodding her head. Again, Luke frowned. He could tell the girl appeared to want to say more. He recognized the familiar behaviour like that from some of the television shows he had watched. Sarah Jane then looked at Luke. "You can stop the chain reaction from having a meltdown, right?"

"Yes, all I need is a cutting tool," Luke answered with a nod. "But—."

"It's fine, Luke," Aleena interrupted him, giving him a look that made him grow quiet. "You'll . . . you'll be able to stop them. Trust me. Besides . . . I'm just in the way here." She looked at them all, giving them a wavering smile. "Good luck. You all will be brilliant. Trust me."

She turned and rushed off, running out of the house before anyone could say anything. Everyone, even Sarah Jane, had not missed the tears that had gathered in Aleena's eyes as she ran away from them. Luke went after her, ignoring the calls from Sarah Jane, Clyde, and Maria, going outside to look for Aleena. But the girl was gone. Vanished into thin air in the same way they had met. And all he could think was that he hoped she would be okay.

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Aww, now I feel bad for Aleena. Wonder if she'll be okay. Can't wait to find out. ;) Hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know if you did in a review. Every time I get to hear from you guys, it helps my writing get even better. And as always, never hesitate to tell me when I'm doing bad. I want to know when the story isn't doing so good, that way I can improve. :)

Reviewers:

 **Aliza Shepard** : There will be more adventures with Sarah Jane and the crew. Hope that you don't mind that. Sort of doing some things different with this story as I said before. Sorry if it's not something you were hoping for in this story. :( I promise that there will be a lot more DW stories than any others with Aleena. Hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! Take care! :)

 **FREYA ASTRID** **NOVA** : I've always loved Luke and am just as excited as you are in seeing him interact with Aleena. They are very similar in some ways, I think. Both feeling a bit out of place and wondering what they're supposed to do in life. Hope that they might have more chances to hang in the future. :) Haha She pretty much is a mini-10th Doctor, isn't she? Maybe it's because that incarnation was the one to get Wanda pregnant in the first place. ;) But who knows really lol. And of course, there's quite a bit of her mother in her as well. It's just more under the surface than the Doctor part I think. But of course, Aleena is also her own person. :) Well, of course, Jack is going to be around. He does need a niece after all. ;) Really hope you enjoyed the new chapter! See you next time!

 **bored411** : Glad you liked it! I think Aleena and Luke are already friends. They just need more time to hang to get to know each other better. Plus Sarah Jane needs a chance to get to know Aleena as well. Glad to hear the heat hasn't been too bad. Rain is nice, yes. Hope you got some. We went through a bad heat wave just recently. But luckily rain moved through and cooled things off. Aleena is definitely the Doctor's daughter. lol Can't wait to see what you think of the new chapter. :)

 **mjahappy** : You're welcome! Glad you liked it. Hope that it continues to be a good read. Doing things a bit differently in this story. :) Hope to see you again soon!

 **alwaystherereading** : haha She does seem to have similar traits as the Doctor. Like father like daughter i guess. lol ;) Very big time skip since the chapter before. Aleena is now far older than when we last saw her. Something which we'll explore later down the road. ;) But yes, definitely more sure of herself. Years of experience can do that. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter and to see you again in the future. :)

 **N7SpaceHamster** : Yay! Glad you got time to yourself to relax and read. :) So glad to see you again, was beginning to worry a bit. I'm doing great! Hope things are going well for you, too! My job consists of helping those in recovery from addictions and/or mental health. Just helping people who really need support in their lives. :) Sadly not much of the Doctor, Martha, and Wanda. But at least Aleena got a chance to chat with Martha. Bad Wolf will definitely be a guide to Aleena in how to avoid any 'spoilers' and such. Also, a bit of a friend to have around I suppose. But yes, there's really not much else Bad Wolf can do or cannot stay for very long. Hopefully, Aleena can start making more friends. Like the friends she had in Hooverville. Definitely, something new I did. Kind of like Hansel and Gretel thing with aliens. haha The fish smell is kind of like a pheromone that the woman produces naturally. It affects other species differently, so luckily for Aleena it did not have the same effect as it does on humans. Flash of the white light came from Aleena herself. She has the same powers and backlash like Wanda. Aleena being so young, there's a lot she needs to learn. Even the Aleena from this recent chapter. And Aleena really is trying to follow her parents' footsteps.  
Trying something a bit new with doing the other adventures that take place in the DW universe. I hope that it works out okay. I know most people have only seen DW and not the other alternate stuff. I'll try my best to make every adventure a treat to read. :) Oh, Aleena has really grown since the last time we saw her. Try a couple of decades or so. ;) We'll find out in the next chapter of how exactly she found herself there at the school. Well, from what we can gather from this chapter, seems Sarah Jane had a bad encounter when meeting Aleena. Maybe. Guess we'll find out later. Hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! So happy to see you again, too. :D Until next time!

 **All The Stories Are True 24601** : Yay! Glad to see you again. :) So glad you enjoyed it. Hope you liked the new chapter as well. Can't wait to see you again in the future!

Thanks to all for the lovely reviews! I cannot wait to see what everyone thinks of this chapter. :)

~Tinker~


	9. Ch 9: Welcome to Torchwood

Helloooooo, everyone, and Happy Holidays!

So sorry it's been a while. I was going to update sooner, but unfortunately around the time I was getting ready to work on this chapter, Amazon Prime took off _Torchwood_ and _Sarah Jane Smith Adventures_. So . . . finding places where I can watch and gather information from the stories' has been a little hard. Soooo . . . Had to buy a bit of each show little by little. Which sucks, but at least now I have access to what I need to continue onwards.

Welp, onto the new chapter!

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Chapter 9: Welcome to Torchwood

It had only been a week and Gwen Cooper could still not believe the sort of life she had stumbled into. The life working under Torchwood, an organization dedicated in tracking down anything alien. Mostly just to prevent alien threats. Though Jack Harkness, the man in charge of the group she worked with, said there was good aliens they would help out. Not that she had seen any 'good' aliens yet. Mostly just those wanting to either eat or kill people. Still though . . . it was an exciting job to have.

She currently sat at a desk she had been provided with upon gaining her new position with Torchwood. A sort of place she could work and all that, which mostly consisted of her gaining background records on people when Jack requested her to. A sort of way to help Torchwood see people as more than just . . . 'things' to be saved. Not that she faulted for the group to be so distant from the outside world. Working in a place like this . . . she could see how people could lose themselves into the work and forget what it means to be human. She just hoped that it never happened to her.

Gwen glanced around the large underground room she sat in, watching the others of Torchwood busying themselves with whatever it was they did on a day like this. When nothing really exciting happened. There was Toshiko Sato, a woman with black, short hair, which laid very straight around her head, and deep brown eyes. She was the sort of . . . technological expert of the team who always seemed to be up to new sort of tricks on the computer at her desk, typing away at rapid pace and keeping up with outside happenings around the country. The woman really preferred to be called 'Tosh.' Then there was Owen Harper, a skinny man, with a short bit of brown hair and a smirk that never seemed to leave his face. He was the doctor or medical chief. Gwen figured he must be the one to usually do autopsies on any bodies Torchwood recovered, or figure out anything else the organization needed medically. So far, Gwen only felt irritation when being around this man. He just had the worst attitude and was always so . . . arrogant. Lastly, there was Ianto Jones, a man who was thin and tall, with such a kind demeanour. He was the sort of serving man for everyone, keeping them well feed, kept up with paperwork for them, and did sort of any other odd job that Torchwood needed. They were an odd group, Gwen would give them that. But they were not as odd as Jack Harkness himself. An immortal man (not that anyone else knew he was immortal) who seemed to be a mystery to everyone, not just her. Well, she could handle that, she supposed. As long as there were no more mysteries thrown at her while she worked here, she felt that she could handle just about anything. Alien or not.

Gwen looked over when she heard the churning of machinery and saw the lift that led to the water tower up above in the centre square in Cardiff. She remembered Jack saying how the lift was the 'backdoor' to the facility and only used for a necessary quick in and out to the place. So the fact that it was suddenly activated and coming down into the place, when everyone was already here, made her wonder for a moment if the perception filter around the square block might have been noticed and allowed some random person to come down to them below.

"Um, is there someone coming?" Gwen asked the others curiously. She saw how they too had paused in what they had been doing and staring at the lift in confusion.

"That's odd. Did it activate on its own?" Tosh wondered out loud. Owen suddenly gave a loud groan.

"Oh, no. It's _her_ , isn't it?" he complained, sounding very much like he was whining. Like a child getting a surprise visit from a relative they did not like.

"It's been a while since she's been around," Ianto said thoughtfully, moving over towards the drink machine of his. "I'll get a cup of cocoa ready." Gwen got up from her desk, moving over to get closer to the slow moving lift.

"Who is it? Someone from another Torchwood facility?" she asked them all curiously, feeling a bit excited to meet someone else a part of the organization.

"No, it's—," Owen began to say in a grumble. But he never got a chance to explain, nor did Gwen get a chance to hear him. For at that moment, someone called from the still far up lift.

"Look out below!"

Gwen let out a startled cry, jumping back just as someone came falling down from the lift and landing with a thump onto the concrete below. The woman could only stare at the newcomer in disbelief, completely flabbergasted in someone having jumped from so high up. In front of her was a teenage girl, in a crouch from the jump and grinning at her as though they had just done something very fun and exciting. Not something that could have broken their legs or neck. Gwen took in the appearance of the girl quickly, seeing the messy brown hair that came to her shoulders, light skin with freckles, and rather skinny and short body. The next thing Gwen noticed was the blue shirt, bellbottom pants, and red converse trainers.

"What the hell?! What were you thinking jumping off the lift like that? You could have killed yourself from that height?!" Gwen immediately scolded, bypassing the thought that it was not her place in scolding this kid when they had just met. But she just felt as though she had to as the teenager could have seriously harmed themselves. The girl stood up, glancing back at the lift which was still slowly coming down to the floor beside them.

"From that height? Nah. It'd have to be a lot higher up to kill me," the girl said with a shrug, grinning as though jumping from so far up was no big deal at all. The brunette gave a lop-sided grin with a spark coming to her brown eyes. "Hey! You must be the newbie! Nice ta meet cha! I'm Aleena. Aleena Tate." The girl grabbed Gwen's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "It's great finally meeting you, Gwen."

"You—you know who I am?" Gwen blinked, shocked that this girl she had just met knew her name already. Especially as she had never even heard about this girl until this exact moment. It was also surprising to Gwen when she heard the American accent coming from the girl.

"Yeah, I know everything that goes on around here," Aleena replied with a shrug, grinning even more now, more sly this time, even adding in a wink.

"In other words, she spies on us," Owen spoke up, shooting an annoyed glance at the girl.

"Ha! Like you lot don't spy on everyone else in the world. Or each other for that matter," Aleena countered, sticking her tongue out at the man before walking around Gwen to head towards them. The girl bounced over to Ianto as he came up to her with a steaming drink in hand. "Woo! Cocoa!" Taking the drink, the girl took a gulp and gave a sigh in happiness. "You always make the best drinks, Ianto."

"I do try," the man replied, smiling politely at the girl.

Aleena bounced up to give him a high five, beaming away as the man chuckled lightly. She then turned to Tosh, grinning even more. "How's my favorite scientist?"

"Fine as always," Tosh said, smiling in welcome. Gwen looked at the two, and then to Owen, noticing the different attitudes between the two had with the girl over what the man seemed to have. Obviously, it was only Owen that seemed to have a problem with the girl.

"I'm fine, too, thanks," Owen was heard grumbling as he looked back at his desk and typing away. Not really looking as though he were actually doing work. Just occupying himself so that he would not have to talk anymore.

"Nice to see you, too, chicken head," Aleena said, rolling her eyes lightly as she placed down her cup on a desk and pulled off the backpack that Gwen just now noticed the girl had on her. The pack seemed rather old. In fact, very much old. "Here, Tosh, I got that thing you asked me to find." Aleena handed over a strange, round metal device of some kind. Tosh immediately took it, looking excited.

"Oh, thank you!" the woman said in appreciation. "I owe you one, Aleena."

"Nah, don't worry about it," said the girl, waving a hand as though it were no big deal. Placing back on her pack, she glanced around the large facility. "Now, where's Jack? In his usual hole?" She bounced away before anyone answered her, seeming to already know where to find the Captain. As the girl started to climb up the many stairs to get to where Jack would be, Gwen could only gaze at her with pure curiosity.

"So . . . who is she?" she asked the others that were still next to her.

"She's a pain in the arse, that's what she is," Owen grumbled as his tapped a pen on the desk.

"Owen, be nice," Ianto sighed, shaking his head at the doctor.

"Well, she is! Last time she was here she messed up my whole system with our body count," Owen protested.

"Actually, she made it better, I think," Tosh responded in a quiet counter.

"It was better how _I_ had it," Owen retorted.

"It really wasn't, though," Tosh sighed with a shake of her head.

"And, whenever she's around," Owen continued, seeming to ignore Tosh's remark, "we always have to deal with Jack's attitude."

"'Attitude'?" asked Gwen.

"Jack tends to be, ah, a bit overprotective when Aleena's around," Ianto explained, looking as though he too did not enjoy Jack during these times of the girl's arrival.

"It's because she's his only family," Tosh countered, seeming to defend in how Jack acted around the girl. "I would too if I had only a niece left."

"She's his niece?" Gwen spoke up, feeling baffled as she did not imagine Jack to have any sort of family around.

"As far as we know," Owen sighed in exasperation, clearly frustrated in not knowing the mystery that was their leader. "She calls him Uncle, and he is aggressively protective when she's around. So . . ." He gave a shrug.

"Well, she's American like him, so she has to be, right?" Gwen offered.

"Yes, but we don't know anything else about her. Only that she's been around Torchwood longer than us," said Tosh.

"So, what, Jack lets a little kid run around Torchwood? That can't be safe," scoffed Gwen.

"She wasn't a kid when I met her," Tosh said, growing a thoughtful frown on her face. "In fact . . . she's looked about the same age for a while now."

"Probably because she's so short," Owen said lightly with a laugh.

"I suggest you don't say that around her again, Owen. Remember the last time?" Ianto teased the man, making Owen shoot him a sharp glare.

"Does she do anything for Torchwood, or . . .," questioned Gwen, feeling uncertain in what to think of such a young kid being a part of the organization.

"Jack sends her off to do undercover stuff, mostly," explained Tosh. "Some things that we need an insider for. Nothing dangerous or anything like that. Usually light missions."

Gwen stared up towards the girl, watching as Jack came out of his office, with a few papers in hand, the same moment the brunette came creeping up the stairs. She watched as the girl tapped Jack on the shoulder before ducking around as he turned see who had touched him. When he turned again, there was Aleena sticking her tongue at him lightly. Gwen watched as Jack let out a laugh of delight, picking up the girl in a hug and spinning her around. It was the first time Gwen had actually seen a genuine smile on the man's face. A smile that actually reached his eyes, making them light up warmly as though seeing an old friend after a long while. This only made Gwen even more curious as to who this girl was. She must be something special to make Jack look so happy. Gwen watched as Jack steered the girl into his office, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as the teenager chatted away rapidly in delight.

"So, what's my little flower child been up to lately?" Jack asked Aleena teasingly, closing the door behind them after they entered his office. Aleena hopped into a chair across from his desk, spinning around in it while kicking out her feet playfully.

"Welp, you were right to send me to that H.C. Clements," Aleena said lightly. "Though I ended up sixteen months back when travelling, so . . . had to go undercover for a while. As a temp, so don't worry, nothing too fancy to get myself noticed."

"That's good," Jack remarked, glad to keep Aleena out of any limelight that might get her noticed by . . . certain people. There were also other such organizations that were always on the lookout for potential alien threats or collections to get ahold of. Something which had happened before, and neither of them would want a repeat of. "So, what exactly happened? What had old Torchwood One done with the place?"

"Built a large tunnel straight into the Earth's center . . . apparently. Which then led to a giant alien spider nest that was going to devour the planet," Aleena said with a shrug. But her eyes lit up brightly as though excited for what she really wanted to talk about. "But that's not the exciting part. What's really exciting is I got to meet a companion of my mom and dad's! Her name is Donna Noble. Totally awesome. She actually treated me like, I don't know, an adult compared to everyone else. Even though it said I was nineteen on those fake papers you got me, no one seemed to take me seriously . . . on the count of, well, you know." Her voice trailed off into a grumble, looking frustrated with her appearance while Jack smiled in amusement.

Aleena did not think it was funny. Well, maybe a little, but it was still rather irritating. It was something she noticed after years from leaving Hooverville. No matter how old she got, she just did not age like everyone else. When she was almost thirty, she still looked about eight years old. She was ninety-eight now, finally looked like she was at _least_ sixteen, and people still treated her like she was a damn kid. Even Jack did. Though she knew he tried his best not to. She did not really blame them all of acting this way, especially Jack. For one, it was just in human culture not to take the young seriously because of their innate belief that the older someone was the more wise and experienced they were in life. As for two, Jack just . . . saw her like his own kid at times. He had been there for her almost sixty years now. For him, she knew it was probably longer than that seeing how long he had been trapped here on Earth in the past. Though for most of it there were years apart between them meeting as he made her skip past the decades of war he had been involved in. Something which he forbid her to ever be a part of. War, that is. Suited her just fine. She never liked the more . . . gruesome side of human history.

"So, this spider nest . . . Did it have anything to do with the giant ship hovering over London on Christmas last year?" Jack asked carefully, trying to get Aleena back on track.

"Yeah, but dad and mom solved that issue. So, no more spiders around. Also, don't worry. I kept clear of the whole scene. So, no timeline troubles. Anyway, I also got a new apartment! Met Martha Jones, another companion. She's totally fab. Likes to do all sorts of book reading with me. Mostly medical seeing how she's trying to be a doctor. Best thing is, she hasn't met me yet like she will when I'm in a kid in Hooverville, plus I doubt she'll even put two and two together when we do meet up again afterwards. So score for me, I can actually chill with her later after she travels with them!" Aleena beamed away, looking as excited as ever to finally meet new people that were a part of her parents' lives. Just like she always was.

Jack stared at her, feeling his past concerns creeping up on him. Concerns that she was keeping herself locked away from really interacting with others out there in life, only focusing on her parents and those they got involved with. It was how she had found him after all. "Aleena—," he tried saying.

"So, got any new missions for me?" she asked quickly to stop him from speaking. As though she knew what he was going to say. Which, knowing her, she most likely did. Sighing, Jack picked up the papers he had been holding earlier, seeing if there was anything he could give Aleena to get her off to do something. Anything that kept her away from what horrible things they usually had to go through on a regular basis here. But nothing stood out that would be exactly . . . safe enough.

"Sorry, doesn't look like we have anything you can do at the moment, so you'll just have to stick around base for the time being," he told her, setting down his papers.

"Or, you know, you could finally send me out there with the rest of you," Aleena countered casually, giving Jack a hopeful look.

"No," he answered immediately, not even thinking twice about it.

"Aww, come on! I could be tons of help out there!"

"Oh? Like you were tons of help at that school in Ealing?" He raised a sharp brow at her, giving her his usual stern look.

Aleena slumped in her chair very slowly with a dark blush coming over her face. "Ah . . . you know about that, then?"

"Yeah. I know. Got an ear full from the one and only Sarah Jane Smith about sending people around her parts. She didn't take too kindly."

Aleena felt her face heat up. She slumped down in her chair, feeling both humiliated . . . and regretful by what happened there with Sarah Jane. Especially with what happened with Luke. ". . . I didn't mean—."

"I told you about going around Sarah Jane. Out of all of the Doctor's companions, that's the one he actually visits now and then. We cannot let him find out about you before it's your time. Not only that, but Sarah Jane has her own base of operations in London that we've promised to stay out of. I've told you this how many times?"

". . . I didn't realize that was where she lived."

"Now I'm not buying that. Wanna try again?"

". . . I forgot?" Aleena gave him the most sheepish smile she could muster.

Jack looked as though he were about to dispute this but ended up humming in agreement instead. "Actually, I can believe that knowing how you are." His expression turned stern again. "You remember the last time you ran into Sarah Jane under the authority of Torchwood. It didn't go well then. What made you think it would go well now? You're just lucky that it's been so long that she didn't recognize you."

Aleena let out a loud sigh, slumping even more into her seat. "Look, I wasn't lying when I didn't realize Sarah Jane would be involved. I knew she lived around that area, it was just . . . the stars asked for help and—." She frowned when Jack gave his usual sigh when it came to the stars. "Look, I stopped the Earth from dying by the Slitheen because of the stars letting me know about their plans. Can't you be a little happy about that?"

Jack shook his head, shuffling through a few papers on his desk. "We were about to step in already when Sarah Jane began her investigation. We would have come into help if we felt she couldn't have handled it. It was _you_ that made the thing almost have a meltdown."

"I forgot to factor that in," Aleena grumbled, crossing her arms.

"—and that kid Luke was smart enough to fix your error," Jack continued as though she had not said anything at all. He gave her the usual eye of disapproval. "You're to remain here for the time being. No more missions for you. Help around Tosh with her usual work and file any paperwork we might need."

"So, in other words, I'm grounded." Standing up, she sent him a sharp glare. "You know, I could just travel away for another decade. You can't really stop me."

"Aww, and then leave me all by myself?" Jack gave her a big pout, making her roll her eyes. He gave her a sympathetic smile, standing up and patting her on the shoulder. "Look, I know you were trying to help. And I do appreciate that you were actually trying to make friends your age for once. But keeping your head down is the only thing that's kept you safe all these years. Step too far over that line, and—."

"—and I might make the universe explode. I know. I know." Aleena let out a sigh, crossing her arms and staring down at the floor in disgruntlement.

The same feeling of ridicule and dejection went through her as she walked out of his office after he dismissed her for the day. It was always the same. She would always be nothing more than a 'kid' to all these people. Even Jack and Bad Wolf treated her that way. She tried to understand why they acted this way. Because of their fears of the timelines being corrupted, or of her getting hurt in anyway. She appreciated that they cared so much. It was just . . . she lived through so many decades, had done many great things, and still she felt like she was going no where in life. They always said she had to wait until her time came to meet her dad and mom and finally find her place in the universe. But when would that be? Another ninety-something years? She was beginning to feel restless everyday just waiting around Earth, doing _nothing_. She just wished that . . . something would happen finally. Something that finally gave her true purpose.

So far, the stars were the only things that actually made her feel like she meant something to this universe. It started almost right after she left Hooverville all those years ago. She was on the road, living with the homeless during the late 60s when a star came to her. Not the white star that always followed her. This star had been a mother who had died, leaving their child left behind. An orphanage had taken in the child, mistreating them. However, the child had family out there, searching for the lost one. The mother star begged for Aleena to help get her son back to her family. Well, begged in the only way a star could by showing her all the different emotions and memories of what the star had. And so, Aleena did just that, finding the boy and getting him back to his family. It had taken quite a lot as the orphanage he lived in was corrupt and used the children as slave labor. But not only had she managed to get the boy home, she managed to shut down the place and get the children all to wonderful homes.

After that, she helped any star that would come to her. Most were just simple things, like telling of loved ones the stars' last message as a way to have the family feel at peace. Other times were more . . . crazy. Like with the Slitheen at that school. She had run into the star of Carl, the boy who had been killed by that child Korst Gogg Thek Lutiven-Day Slitheen for a bodysuit. The star of Carl had bumped into her while she had been going to work at H.C. Clements with Donna one morning. It had been easy to get a few days off for 'leave' and sneak into the school. It had also been easy enough to blend in with all the students as Aleena mostly looked about the same age as them. Kids these days sure were a lot taller and older looking than they used to be. Must be the steroids in the food. Anyway, people tended not to ask questions if one looked like everyone else. Especially in uniform. It had been a challenge getting herself a hold of a uniform, but luckily most of it had been thrown out by a family who had a girl the same size as her.

She just wished that she had realized that Sarah Jane would have gotten involved. Truly she did have it in control . . . and she did have fun for the first time in a long time at school just . . . kicking it. Luke had been fab, a real groovy guy. But then she had to go and muck things up forgetting to factor in that backfire in the capacitors. Damn it all for her forgetting there was two negatives in that equation. Not just _one_. And she just _had_ to have ruined her first meeting with Sarah Jane all those years ago by getting Torchwood involved in that alien illegal channel the journalist had been investigating. How had Aleena to know that Torchwood would have killed all those aliens . . . No, she should have known. She had just been too stupid to work it out. Just like she always was.

"So, Jack is your uncle?"

"Huh?" Aleena blinked out of her stupor, seeing that she had wandered back down the stairs. Gwen stood in front of her, staring at her in interest while the others kept on busing themselves with work and such. Blinking again, Aleena tore herself away from glancing at Gwen's timeline. It was considered rude, by her own set of rules, to always look at someone's timeline without their permission. Not that they ever knew to give her permission in the first place. Plus, it took the fun out of getting to know them the old-fashioned way.

"Uh, yeah, he's my uncle," Aleena replied with a shrug, walking around Gwen to continue moving on. Gwen followed her of course. Curiosity in humans was always so predictable. They always just had to know more about the new thing that showed up out of nowhere. Which was always Aleena in the end. She was always the new, weird, freak to ogle at.

"And he lets you work with Torchwood? Aren't you a little young?" Gwen continued to ask, giving Aleena that usual skeptical eye that every new Torchwood member did.

"Ha. That's a laugh. Anyone past the age of thirty in this organization is a veteran." Aleena winked at Gwen and bounced up a small set of stairs which led to a steel door that seemed heavily locked up with a keypad on the side of the wall. She looked over her shoulder at Gwen, seeing the puzzled expression on her face. Just like all other newcomers to Torchwood, they would always wonder about her and ask so many questions. She just wished that she could answer their questions . . . or get to know them the normal way without always resorting to looking at their timelines. But it was never a good to get attached to people. Especially in this organization. It was something Jack always reminded her of. Even if somedays she just hoped that _one_ person in this damn place could know the truth about her and actually accept her as she was. Unfortunately, she was too fearful of any repeats of what happened the last time she opened up about what she was and what she could do. One disaster of a friendship attempt was just too many in her book.

"Welp . . . this is where I take my leave," Aleena said, rubbing at the back of her head and feeling a bit awkward. "Welcome to the group." With a wave in goodbye, she quickly typed in the number code on the keypad and stepped into the room as the metal door slide open. The door promptly closed before Gwen had the chance to see what was inside the room. Not that the woman could have seen anything as the room stayed dark until Aleena turned on the lights.

With a sigh she walked over to her main desk that had multiple papers scattered around the surface, a sleek computer sitting in the middle of the desk, and a large stack of books on the corner. She flopped down onto her rolling chair, sitting back to relax. She briefly glanced around to the many workbenches and lab tables she had in the room, wondering what new thing she should tinker with. Or she could always check over her small plant area in the corner of the room. The one spot that looked so out of place with it having so much green and bright colours in contrast of the dull greys of all the electronics around. Just a small hobby of hers besides the tinkering of different electronics and gadgets. She found she really loved plants and flowers. That, and they were good practice with her powers. She could always tinker some on the hydroponic system she had set up for her growing vegetation.

Not that she really felt up to messing around, but . . . what else could she do since she was grounded? . . . Talking to people would be nice for a change. Well, people besides those from her mom and dad's timeline. Aleena let out a heavy sigh again, leaning back as she stared at the ceiling. A few stray stars danced around the place. Not many came down here in Torchwood. Only those that noticed her and followed her in. She wished she could talk more to Gwen . . . or any of the others. The only company she really had was the stars which is why she had this room made just for her. Keep people from looking at her weird when she had conversations with the stars. It always freaked people out when it looked like she was talking to herself. Aleena snickered a bit thinking about that, but her smile dropped again as she let out another sigh. The stars were never much company though. They never really . . . communicated a whole lot.

Sighing, she leaned forward, tapping her fingers on the desk and feeling a bit glum. She glanced over when seeing the white star coming over to her, nudging her a bit in the cheek. She gave it a small glare, grumbling under her breath, "You know, you're the reason I'm grounded. If you hadn't brought that Carl star to me . . ." The star zoomed around her head, looking as though it were saying nothing was its fault. Out of all the stars, this one was the least helpful with conversations. By this point, she mostly just knew what it meant but how it reacted to her words. But in the past, it was a pain trying to understand it.

"Look, no more bringing stray in for me to help," Aleena said sternly, waving a finger at the white star. "I don't need any trouble." It flashed a bit at her, making her roll her eyes in response. "Yes, I know that I'm the only one who _can_ help, but I'm tired that being the only thing I'm doing with my life. I've got more to my life than just . . ." She looked over, seeing a greenish coloured star coming over to her. It looked meek, scared even. It hesitated coming over to her. The white star went over to it, nudging it forward in encouragement. It then came over to hover beside her head while the green star scooted forward just a bit more. Aleena let out an exasperated sigh.

"Again with the strays," she grumbled, glancing over at the white star in annoyance. It gave no sign of noticing her. Again, she looked to the new star. "Look, I'm very sorry, but I can't help . . . You see it's just . . ." She noticed the image on the star changed to that of a blonde woman wearing a pink raincoat, white dress with pink designs, and hair up with a pink bow on top. Aleena recognized the outfit and hairdo of that being from the 1960s. The woman in the star's image was crying down a dark alley, shivering in the night. Slowly, Aleena let out a sigh, feeling her hearts torn.

"Okay, tell me what you need. I'm here for you," Aleena said softly, sitting at attention and ready to hear what the star needed from her.

XxXxXxXxXx

"So, you need me to get closure of your murder? That's going to be kind of hard to do being how long it's been since you were killed," Aleena told the star as it hovered in front of her and she wrote down notes of what the star told (showed) her. It lowered a bit to the desk, looking glum as the light from it dimmed a bit. "B-but don't worry! I got connections, so I'll try my best." Aleena smiled and gave the star a thumbs up. It gave a response of comfort before drifting out alongside of the white star. The white star issued the green star out of the room as they both just fazed through the door. Something all stars could do really as they could never truly interact with physical objects. Not without a lot of power issued out, but that was a draining task for stars.

Aleena let out a long sigh, tapping her pencil on the desk as she looked over her notes. The green star was Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Lewis, born 1946 and died 1963. She had been raped and murdered by Edwin 'Ed' Morgan, who dumped her body and got away scott-free for forty-five years. Lizzie had only been seventeen years old. Aleena let out another sigh. It was not the first time she had to deal with a murder case. But none ever came out too well when she tried to solve them. Or rather, tried to gain justice for the requesting stars. Most cases the murderer still got away with it and the star stayed glum in knowing they never got the justice their families deserved for their death.

"You know these never work out," Aleena grumbled as she shot the reappearing white star a look. It just came over to her, bumping her lightly in the shoulder for moral support. "You look on the bright side too much." Tossing her pencil down onto the desk, she rubbed a hand through her hair as she knew the first thing she would have to do was ask Tosh for a background check on this Ed guy. But if Jack got wind of her asking for something like that, he would know right away that she was doing something for a star. Not something she would be allowed to do being as she was 'grounded.' Wonder if maybe she could sneak in later when the others went on home and look up the guy herself. In fact . . . Aleena glanced at her watch, seeing how late it was. Well, the lot of them should be heading home already. Maybe she could sneak out and do some of her own research once Jack went into his hidey hole for the night.

She let out the millionth sigh for the night. Or rather early morning by this point. It was so . . . draining always doing this kind of work all by herself. Just once she wished . . . she wished she could finally have a friend. A real, true friend, who understood her and her powers. Maybe even helped her along. Just once . . . Yeah, right, she had to be real with herself. Like anyone would ever understand what it was like . . .

Getting up from her chair, she glanced out her door to see Tosh at her desk, typing away quickly at her keyboard and talking fast into the mic at her computer. Darn. It looked like something came up and now the team was at work. Well, dang, that means they will be up all night. Just groovy. Aleena let out a gush of breath and walked out of her hideaway. Might as well see what was up. Maybe she could help them move things along faster so she could work on her own thing.

"Hey, Tosh, what's happening?" she asked as she bounced over to Tosh at her desk. The woman glanced at her briefly before gluing her eyes back onto the screen.

"Chasing some energy readings," the woman muttered before getting back to work in tracking the running figure on her screens. Obviously, she was tracking down whoever the others were running after through the CCTV feed from around the city. Again, always with the spying these lot were doing. "Jack, sharp right, twenty metres."

Aleena sat herself onto a chair, watching and listening to the team chasing down whoever they were after. They got closer and closer with Gwen the one being right on the guy's arse. Apparently, he had some alien tech on him. Or he was the alien tech. Either way, it looked like Gwen was going to get him. Aleena watched with interest. Soon, it looked like Gwen had managed to catch the man, but instead it seemed she only managed to get the dude's jacket with the alien tech inside it instead. She let out a sigh, beginning to walk away as she found it all boring. She began to wonder if maybe she should just go back to her apartment for the night and get some rest. It had been about a week since she had slept. But when Gwen's frantic words came over the computer, Aleena stopped in her tracks.

"I swear, there was a little boy! Just here! It—it had to be a ghost, or something. I don't know!" came Gwen's frantic words as it seemed she were talking with Jack and Owen. Aleena walked back over, staring at the CCTV feed on the screen over Tosh's shoulder.

"What's going on?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know. It sounds like something happened to Gwen when she touched the device," Tosh muttered, frowning as she typed away at her keyboard, focusing on something else entirely. It seemed she was still trying to find where that male had run off to. Frowning, Aleena stared at the screen where the others were still seen. The look on Gwen's face was clear, even over the fuzzy screen from the CCTV feed. It looked as though the woman really had seen a ghost, shaking from head to toe. She walked over a spare chair, sitting and waiting for the team's return. Once they got back, Aleena immediately saw how Gwen really was shaken by whatever she had seen. Gwen's eyes were red from tears and her face pale.

"So, what did you see?" she asked quickly, her curiosity running wild.

"Gwen here got spooked by a _ghost_ ," Owen said, mocking the woman by making a scary voice when saying 'ghost.' He snickered for a moment when Gwen shot him a look. But shut up quickly when receiving same look from Jack.

"I swear, there was a little boy there," Gwen said firmly, turning to Tosh. "Run the CCTV feed back when I got the jacket." She went quickly into the viewing room where Tosh could show an enlarged projection of the camera's feed. Tosh nodded, pulling back up the feed.

"Where did you see a ghost?" Aleena asked curiously. She had never run into a ghost before. Well, the stars could technically count as 'ghosts' she supposed. But a ghost like from the movies or from stories like the _A Christmas Carol_ , now that would be something neat.

"When she pushed the button on this," Jack said, holding up a strange metallic device. It was curved, shaped like that of some kind of game controller. A large silver button was on top of it. When Jack set it down and moved to stand next to Gwen to watch the video feed, Aleena scooted over to grab the device from the table, taking a closer look at it. Nothing special really seemed from it. She wondered what exactly Gwen saw and how the device worked.

"This is the feed from the station camera," Tosh explained of what she had pulled up. Aleena looked over, watching the video projection that Gwen, Owen, and Jack were watching. "Gwen grabs the kid. She's got his jacket and he just slips out."

"Slippery little bugger," Aleena muttered as she looked away, glancing back down at the device in hand.

"And then?" she heard Gwen ask Tosh, clearly wanting to push for answers to whatever she had seen.

"Jack and Owen arrive," Tosh continued. "And then nothing. Sorry."

"No, it . . . it was as real as this is. More real," Gwen began to explain rapidly, looking frantic for anyone to believe her. "I didn't just see that little boy. I could . . . I could hear what he was thinking. I could feel it. Like I was lost." Very slowly, Aleena looked up from the device, staring at Gwen with wide eyes. She felt her hearts picking up in speed as her mind raced to process what Gwen had just said. Had she . . . did she . . . No, way. It could not be . . . could it?

"Intense emotion can be part of a neurological event," Owen said with a shrug, sounding bored. "Hallucinations, dementia."

"Shut up, chicken head," Aleena said strictly, stopping Gwen from throwing an angry retort at the mocking man. She went over to the woman quickly, staring at her with keen interest. "What you saw . . . was it like you were there? There with him where he had been? Like the time you were in was different?" Gwen blinked, taken back by Aleena's urgent questions and demeanour.

"Yeah. It was exactly like that," Gwen confirmed, nodding to Aleena's questions. The woman stared at the girl as the brunette looked over the device with wide, excited, eyes. "Why? Have you seen something like that before?"

"Few times, yeah," Aleena muttered quietly as she gazed at the device. Could it be? Had an alien species out there tapped into the timelines of those around them? Was it a device from her parents' home world? Nah, it could not be that. Her mom and dad's species already had powers like that. Why make a device when they already had those abilities? So, maybe, there was just another species out there who realized the potential of the universe around them and decided to make something to show others of how the universe worked. Oh, man, this could be perfect. She could finally have something to maybe show others in how she viewed the world, the universe, and finally have people understand her. Maybe even make a few friends along the way?

"No," Jack spoke up sternly, yanking the device out of Aleena's hands and out of her thoughts. She scoffed, looking at him angrily.

"I wasn't even doing anything," she said, frowning as he walked away with the device.

"Yeah, but I know what you were thinking," Jack responded, setting the device down at Tosh's desk. "And the answer's "no", you can't go experimenting on this thing. Not until we know what exactly it does."

"Well, _obviously_ , it taps into a moment of someone's past, showing the holder of that past version of a person's thoughts, feelings, and what happened to them," Aleena spoke quickly, already thinking of a way to get her hands on that device again. "And so what if I do some experiments on it? It's not like it's dangerous."

"We don't know that yet," Tosh said, nodding in agreement to Jack's logic. "Until I can run some tests on it, we really shouldn't mess with it." Aleena crossed her arms with a huff, letting their words tune out as they seemed to be focusing on finding out more about the kid Gwen saw in her vision. This Tom Erasmus Flanagan. Sounds like it should be easy enough to track him down. If anything she could help out later to track him down . . . Oh, well, it looked like Owen already found him. Great. Now Aleena could just focus on finding more on this Lizzie Lewis and figuring out how to solve her murder.

Aleena glanced around, seeing how Jack had already sent Gwen and Owen off to investigate on the Tom kid. Ianto was off doing his own thing back in the front office area. Tosh was at her desk typing away with eyes of full concentration set on her computer screens. The only one she did not see around was Jack, but most likely he went back into his hiding hole in his office. Okay . . . waiting for everyone to clear out would be the more logical option . . . but damn if she hated waiting. She never was a very patient person. One of her many flaws she supposed.

Glancing around carefully to make certain no one was looking at her, Aleena scooted over to Owen's desk. She sat very slowly at the chair, giving Tosh one last look before beginning to type away at the doctor's desk. It would have been better to work with Tosh's computer seeing how good Tosh kept up with it. But any computer in Torchwood could look up simple information. Aleena had made certain of that when she helped Jack establish this place from the very beginning. She smiled as the screen popped up for her use. The only thing she would have to be careful about was to . . . Damn. Aleena glared at the screen when seeing her access had been denied. Apparently Jack had already thought ahead and blocked off all access to her from Torchwood. Looks like he learned his lesson from the last time he 'grounded' her. Oh, hell. Looks like she would actually have to resort to asking for help for once.

With a sigh, she turned off Owen's computer. Though not before adding a fun little virus to his computer. Just something that would make a farting sound every time he tried to type on the keyboard. Aleena snickered as she turned off the computer and walked carefully over to Tosh. She began to tug on her earlobe, feeling a bit flustered. She never really liked asking people for help. Mostly everything was just easier to do on her own . . . Plus she always just felt like she was bothering people by asking for help. But . . .

"Um, hey, Tosh . . ." she said quietly, shuffling her feet as the woman turned around to look at her in interest. "Can you do me a favor and run a background check for me?"

"Sure. What's the name?" Tosh responded, turning around and already typing away at her computer.

"Elizabeth Lewis," Aleena said quickly, wanting to hurry along before Jack came out and asked what she was up to. She just knew he would put a stop to her trying to help a star out if he found out. "She was born in 1946 and died 1963."

"Only child of Mabel Ann Lewis of Hatford Street," Tosh responded, already having the records up and running for them both to see. "Raped and murdered on Penfro Street, under the bridge. Seventeen years old." Tosh frowned as a saddened expression crossed her face. "No one was ever brought to trial." She glanced at Aleena as a thoughtful look was given to the girl. "Why do you want to look this up?"

"I need to know if her mother is still alive." Aleena leaned closer to the computer as Tosh typed away and looked up the information.

"Looks like Mabel Lewis is already dead a few years back."

Aleena let out a puff of air. "Great." She sat there thinking, wondering what else she could do. "Have anything on friends or other relatives?" She smiled as she saw Tosh was already on it, the paper coming out of the printer before she had even asked. Aleena gave a happy kiss on the woman's cheek. "Thanks! You're so boss!" Tosh chortled lightly with a smile while Aleena bounced over and grabbed the paper off the printer.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Aleena halted just as she was about to exit through the front door of the facility. She looked over slowly, seeing Jack standing above on a walkway, leaning on the railing and staring very stern towards her direction.

"She's looking into Elizabeth Lewis's case," Tosh said before Aleena had time to make up an excuse. "I already looked up all the background for her." Slowly, Tosh frowned when seeing the strict look Jack gave Aleena and the sheepish expression on the brunette. "Was this not a mission you gave her?"

"No, it's not. She's off any work for a while," Jack grounded out strictly. Tosh made a small sound of understanding, realizing this meant Aleena was 'grounded.' She gave the girl a look of pity before turning back around and pretending she was busy and could not hear them at all.

"Jack, please, I'm just looking into something. Not getting involved with any kind of alien activities whatsoever. I swear," Aleena said hurriedly, holding up her hand to her swear.

"This 'something' have anything to do with your little _friends_ by any chance?" he asked her carefully. When seeing her small frown, he shook his head with a sigh. "Grounded means no little friends, either."

"Oh, come on!" Aleena retorted, stomping up the stairs towards him. She met in on the walkway, crossing her arms with a large pout. "I'm not getting into any trouble this time! It's just looking into . . . getting some justice for this 'friend' okay?"

"No." Jack crossed his own arms and kept to his strict demeanour.

"But . . . please?" Aleena slumped her shoulders when seeing his unwavering expression. "I'm the only one who can help them."

"They've been fine for a long while on their own. They can deal without you this one time."

Aleena felt her spirits fall as she looked away. "But it's the only thing I'm good at though," she mumbled quietly, turning around in defeat and heading back down the stairs. Jack stared at her for a moment longer before his stern expression melted. He gave a heavy sigh.

"Okay," he sighed. Aleena turned, eyes lighting up with glee. He smiled, finding it always heartening to see her happy. He laughed internally though when her smiled dropped at his next statement. "But I'm coming with you."

XxXxXxXxXx

Aleena sat in her special room in Torchwood, bored out of her mind. The whole time looking into Lizzie's past had been a bust. Apparently, no one was still alive or around that knew of Lizzie Lewis. Or, well, there was Ed Morgan, but Aleena did not want to go down that route yet. At least it had been fun hanging out with Jack through the day. Until he had to go check and see how the others were coming along finding the dude who had taken that sort of 'ghost machine.' It was something the lot were wanting to call that device. Aleena thought it funny. Mostly because she never really saw the past moment's of a person's timeline to be 'ghosts' before. Though, really, now that she thought about it . . . it kind of was like that.

Aleena happened to glance over to her computer monitor from her main desk while she sat tinkering at another workbench of hers. On screen she could see Jack, Gwen, Tosh, and Owen coming into the facility from the security cameras she had monitoring the place. From the looks of it, they had not been successful in getting that one dude. Oh, well. She let out a sigh, about to continue on in her tinkering when she looked back with a frown, realizing that something was not right. There was tension between the group. What happened now? She placed down her tools on the bench and went quickly out of her room.

"So, no luck in finding Bernie?" she asked them all casually, not really wanting them to know that she already could tell of their unlucky day. She bounced down the set of stairs from her hideaway, coming down to the main floor with the others. She glanced around, seeing the grim look on Jack's face, unease expressions shared between Tosh and Gwen, and the visibly shaken demeanour on Owen. "What happened? Is everything all right?" Owen threw his jacket onto a nearby chair and stormed off into the file room, apparently searching through for a certain file. Aleena glanced back at the others, seeing Tosh already at her desk and typing away at her computer with Jack standing there with his arms crossed. Gwen bit her lip, looking uncertain in what to do. Aleena frowned and crossed her arms. "Right, I'm just talking to myself, then."

"Owen saw a vision from the ghost machine," Tosh finally said quietly, glancing at Owen and seeing him sitting on a near sofa with file in hand. He refused to look at anyone, clearly wanting to just keep his mind focused on things elsewhere.

"Of what?" Aleena glanced at him in concern. From the way he was acting . . . it must not been a good moment from whatever timeline he had seen.

"A girl . . . Lizzie," muttered Owen, still refusing to look anyone in the eye as he kept his gaze locked on the pages from the file in his hand. Aleena tensed. No . . . it could not be the same girl . . . could it? The coincidence of it would be one in a million.

"The first time it happens to Gwen. A boy at the railway station," Jack thought aloud.

"Who's now in his seventies, alive and well, and living in Butetown," Gwen added, nodding along with Jack's thoughts. She went over to one of the clear boards, looking through the papers she had placed up to keep track of what they had been looking into. She then walked back over to join the group once she had placed up a few new photos to their board, standing closure to Owen now. "Second time, it happens to Owen. Like me, you didn't just see it. You felt emotions that weren't yours." They all stared at him, seeing how he gazed back very slowly with an unreadable expression.

"She was terrified," he spoke quietly, nodding as he stared off with haunted eyes. Aleena stared at him, giving him a look of empathy. She understood how he felt. The first time she had come across a terrifying moment like that in someone's timeline . . . it had taken her a while to recover from it as well. The worse the moment in someone's timeline, the worse effects it would have on oneself. She wished she could have eased Owen the same way Bad Wolf had helped her cope through the process of learning how to handle her gifts. There was a breathing treatment that worked the best, and the calming of one's hearts beating that helped separate the emotions from the timeline a little more . . .

"But I don't understand," she heard Tosh speaking up, "this girl is the same one Aleena was looking into."

"What?" Aleena blinked out of her thoughts, looking over to see Tosh, Owen, and Gwen staring at her curiously. Or, well, the two women were. Owen looked more suspicious at her more than anything. Thinking quickly, Aleena kept a confused expression on. "Seriously? My Lizzie is the same as Owen saw? That can't be, can it?"

"But it is," Tosh said, shaking her head in disbelief as she stared back at the computer screen and looking over the records of the girl's past.

"Why were you looking into Lizzie Lewis?" Owen questioned Aleena, his voice tense as his eyes gazed at her sharply.

"I like to look into old cases every once and a while. She just happened to be one on my list," Aleena explained with a shrug. She made certain to keep her face straight. Though she never liked lying, she learned over the years how to do so very convincingly. The only one who she never truly lied to (not that she could get away with lying to him) was Jack. If she had other friends she might stick from lying to them as well . . .

"I call that one hell of a coincidence," Gwen commented, a small scoff heard in her voice as she too looked at Aleena with a questioning gaze. The girl merely shrugged, deciding it was best she did not say anything else on the matter.

"Did you find Ed Morgan, then?" Owen asked her, sitting forward with tensely.

"Sorry, still looking into that," Aleena lied. She saw the frustrated and disappointed expression on his face, but it was not as though she could tell him how she knew exactly where Ed Morgan was. Besides that, she very much doubted that he would go to the man for a pleasant visit. In the corner of her eye, she saw Jack give her that look. She glanced at him, seeing the jerk of his head for her to leave the room. Getting the hint, she turned and left the room while the rest of the continued to discuss what Owen had seen of poor Lizzie's life and what to do about it. Not that Jack would ever let Owen do anything about it anyway. He had already shot her down from doing anything about the old cold case on Lizzie's death. Not that she already knew there was nothing she could do about bringing the case back for solving. Not without any new evidence. The most she wanted to do was figure out a way to bring Lizzie's star some peace, able to move onto the 'afterlife' with the other stars. It was never good for a star to remain gloomy. Never. Jack knew that just as well, though not that he ever took it seriously. He could never see the Dark Ones, after all.

As Aleena was walking through the lower hallways of Torchwood, wanting to go into one of the labs that had the equipment she might need for her own experiments, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Turning around, she saw a nervous looking Gwen following behind a tense Jack.

"Ah, good, glad I found you," Jack sighed, letting his shoulders slump as he looked exhausted. "Gwen here needs to learn how to shoot. Take her down to the firing range and teach her how."

"Um, sure thing," Aleena replied, frowning a bit as she was not sure why he did not wish to do it himself. Usually he always wanted to teach the newbies how to shoot. But maybe he had other things to do. Giving the two of them a nod, he turned and left. Aleena gave Gwen a smile when seeing how nervous the woman looked. "So, I get to show you the ropes of shooting? Awesome. Not everyday I get to show off my skills."

"Jack lets you handle guns?" Gwen asked, appearing alarmed. "You're just a child!"

"I'm a lot older than I look, you know," Aleena said in a grumble, opening the door for them to enter the firing range. It was a massive room, with many targets placed in varying distances from the table where the weapons were lying on. First thing she grabbed was the revolver. It was always her favorite. Though it was not the best weapon for use, she just liked the feel of the older weapons versus the new ones.

"So, Jack lets his niece join a dangerous alien organization, do god knows what missions, _and_ carry weapons around?" Gwen questioned, crossing her arms tightly in disapproval.

"I don't carry guns around . . . all the time. I mostly just know how to use them in case of emergencies," Aleena corrected her, setting the revolver down. "I don't even like guns that much, but when push comes to shove I'll use one in a heart beat to protect myself and others. Just like Jack wants you to learn, too. Gotta learn to hang tough."

Gwen blinked. "'Hang tough'?"

"To persevere and endure. That's our motto here." Aleena gave her a wink, picking up a set of ear protectors. "Here. Put these on. It can get kinda loud in here."

Gwen took the large ear defenders, then the pair of safety glasses Aleena also handed over. "But I don't understand. Why does Jack let you around all of this? You're his niece. If I had a niece your age—."

"I'm not his niece. Not really." Aleena shifted the ear defenders on her head after placing them on. She glanced at Gwen as she also put on a pair of glasses. "But he and I . . . we're the only family we got. So, I guess he might as well be my uncle."

The woman sent the girl a curious gaze. "So, does that mean you don't have parents?"

Aleena stared off towards the distant tunnel in front of them. Her eyes growing soft. "I do . . . somewhere. I just gotta find them first." Shaking herself out of her stupor, she grinned back at Gwen. "Now, I suggest using the pistol since it's your first time. It's a be easier on the recoil." Handing the pistol over once she loaded it, she smiled at Gwen, hoping the ease the woman from her tension in firing a weapon. Gwen swung the pistol up as if to ask if she were holding it right. Aleena quickly ducked and scooted back, giving a nervous chuckle. "Um, rule number one in gun practice: Don't point the weapon at someone unless you plan on shooting them."

"Oh, sorry," Gwen apologized quickly, pointing the gun back at the ground. She gave a nervous laugh. "I'm sorry, it's just . . . I don't even kill spiders in the bath."

"Ha! Knew I would like you," Aleena laughed, winking at the woman. "Never trust a person who'd kill an innocent spider. I mean, what did a spider ever do besides keep your house safe from pests?" Going over to the woman, Aleena had her turn sideways. "Now, since this is your first time shooting, you can use your arm as way to aim your shot. As you get more practice, it'll be easier to aim to the point where you won't even have to think about it and can do it from any stance."

Gwen blinked in confusion. "Don't I need both hands?"

"For bigger guns, yes. For handheld weapons, no. Too much tension if you hold with both hands, makes your aim rigid and off. In fact, that's one of the biggest mistakes people can make when it comes to handling a gun. They're too tense, which leads to big mistakes. Tension isn't what you want. You gotta be calm, collected, and relaxed." Aleena gave her a smile. "I actually like to loosen up before I even grab a gun." She showed Gwen her rolling her shoulders and giving a few arm stretches.

Gwen laughed lightly. "I'm not doing that."

"Well, breathing exercises work, too, I guess." With a shrug of her shoulders, Aleena nodded her head towards the targets. "Now, lift your arm calmly and aim." She watched as Gwen breathed out evenly and did as she was told. Aleena scooted closer, peaking over the woman's shoulder to see how her aim was. With a quick adjustment of her arm and grip on the weapon, Aleena then back away from Gwen. "All right, now breath in and then slowly exhale and fire."

She watched as Gwen carefully let out a breath and then made the shot. The sound of the gun firing reverberated around the room, though the sound was muffled for the two females with their ear defenders. They saw the hole appear in the paper target of a Weevil. Not very closer to the centre, but not bad for a first shot by Aleena's opinion. She gave Gwen a bright smile.

"Very nice first try!" she congratulated the woman. "But your grip is still a little tight. Give it another try." It was two more tries from Gwen. Still about the same results. Aleena hummed for a moment. "Nope, still too tense. How about you—."

"Look, can't you just go get Jack," Gwen sighed, clearly frustrated with this training already. "No offense, but I'd rather someone with more experience teach me on this."

Gwen's mouth snapped shut when seeing the look Aleena gave her. The girl arched a brow at her before grabbing the revolver off the table. Opening the chamber up, she checked the bullets within before giving the chamber a spin and clicking it back into place. Then, without so much as a pause, she whipped it up and shot all six rounds. Once done, she opened the gun up again and placed it down on the table for reloading if needed. Gwen blinked as she stared at the targets Aleena hit. All right in the centre. Not a single miss. She looked back at Aleena with a great admiration.

"I'm sorry," was all she could think to say. Rather lamely at that.

"It's fine. I'm used to it. People always go based on how I look on my experience in life," Aleena replied with a shrug, even smiling a bit to show the woman she truly had no hard feelings. "But don't get me wrong. I was a total ditz when it came to this stuff at first. Being trained by the very best helped get me up to speed at least a little bit."

"Jack's that good?"

"Ha! Nah. I was trained by someone even better."

Gwen blinked. "Who was that?"

"Annie Oakley." Aleena smirked lightly when seeing the confused expression on Gwen's face. The girl continued on, picking up a small automatic handgun and handed it to Gwen. "Let's move on to something else. See if you do better this time."

Training went on for some time. Aleena taught Gwen everything she knew about guns and such. By the end, she was happy to see the woman had almost perfect aim. At this rate, the woman might even be competition for Jack and her. Might even be fun to have a competition to see who was better. Anyway, Aleena eventually told Gwen she was done. Mostly because they were out of ammo for the night.

"Now it's just down to teaching you how to clean a gun," Aleena said after they pulled off their ear defenders and safety glasses. "Best you clean your gun after every use. Or even if you haven't used it in a while. Remember: A clean gun is a happy gun." The girl snickered at her own lame joke, grinning lightly as she started to clean the revolver. She was content with humming lightly, going into the routine of cleaning her favorite gun. After a moment she realized Gwen was not cleaning as well. She glanced over, seeing the woman just staring at her. "Everything all right there, Gwen?"

"It's nothing, it's just . . ." Gwen stared at the guns, a pondering expression crossing her face. "How is it you knew what that device did before Tosh had it scanned?"

Uncertainty crept through Aleena. She shifted on her feet, but kept her expression calm and even as she focused on cleaning the gun in front of her. "Well, you know, when you've worked at Torchwood as long as I have, you get around with the alien tech and such—."

"And you knew about Lizzie even before we did," Gwen went on, not giving Aleena a chance to really explain herself. The girl snapped her mouth shut, feeling the unease squirm in her stomach. The woman looked at the girl, staring curiously at her. "Owen mentioned . . . well, it's not really important. It's just, how is it you're like this? It's not really . . . normal. I mean it's so strange how—."

"—how I seem to always know things before they happen. That I'm just always coincidentally a step ahead of everyone else. Is that what Owen mentioned? He mention that he and all the others think I'm a freak as well?" Aleena sighed before setting down her gun and cleaning rag.

Aleena looked at Gwen as the woman stared back, eyes still full of so many questions that were obviously on the woman's mind. Tugging on her earlobe, Aleena knew that she should not be contemplating answering all of the woman's questions . . . Jack would be furious if he found out. It had been a disaster in the past when Jack and she had thought to trust another person in Torchwood with the knowledge of her being not so human and her abilities. It went horribly then . . . but what if things were different now? Gwen seemed to be more understanding than most. Mostly because she did not have many run-ins with the horrid side of the universe just yet like the others had. Though it could also stem from Gwen being slightly empathic. She only had low level empathic abilities, but they were still there. And if Aleena could possibly open up to Gwen, then maybe she could teach the woman about her abilities. Ah, hell, Aleena knew she might regret this, but . . . she was tired of being alone. She wanted a—a friend. Just one friend to talk about all this stuff. Sure she had Jack . . . but he was more of a parent figure than friend. She wanted an actual real friend. Like the kind other people have. Was that so bad to wish for?

In the end . . . Aleena could not do it.

"Look, Gwen," Aleena breathed, shaking her head as she lowered her gaze from the woman's, "if there's one thing you have to understand about this place is that we all got our secrets here. Me and Jack especially." She looked back up, feeling that urge to just open up and tell this kind woman everything. But fear kept it all at bay. Aleena gave her a strained smile. "And I don't think you can handle the truth of it all."

"I can handle a lot of things," Gwen countered crossly, frowning at as set her expression to that of stern.

"Can you? Really?" Aleena saw the uncertain expression slowly creep over Gwen's face, knowing the answer to that. "Maybe in time . . . but for now—," Aleena glanced at her watch, "it's getting ridiculously late and I'm sure your boyfriend is still waiting for you to help him with that laundry."

"H-how—how did you know about that?" Gwen uttered in astonishment, blinking as she was taken back. Was Owen right and Aleena actually spy on them all?

Aleena smiled sheepishly, realizing she had glanced at Gwen's timeline again. "Just go get some sleep. We'll work on your shooting again tomorrow if we got time." She looked away, showing Gwen that she was done talking for the night as the girl started to clean more of the weapons. She felt Gwen's tense gaze on her for a moment longer before the woman finally decided to leave. Sighing, Aleena placed down the weapon and rag onto the table, staring at the white surface with a mixture of emotions. Feeling the light nudge on her head, she looked up to see the white star bobbing there in front of her. It nudged her again in affection. She smiled, patting it lightly.

"I know. At least I've always got you, eh?"

XxXxXxXx

Welp, that's the end of that. Hope everyone liked it. Please let me know in a review of what you think. It always helps to see where you guys would like to see the story to go. :) I have most of the details in place of where the story might flow, but I'm open to any ideas! Can't wait to see you all in the future! Take care, and be safe this holiday season.

~Tinker~


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